Converse Opera Theatre Presents Suor Angelica and Little Red Riding Hood

On January 25, 26 and 27, the Converse Opera Theatre will present two one-act works, Giacomo Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Little Red Riding Hood by Seymour Barab, together in one enjoyable evening. The performances will mark the directorial debut of Rebecca Turner, Associate Professor of Voice and Director of the Converse Opera Theatre.

The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, January 25 and 26, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, January 27. Dr. Scott Robbins will share his popular "Opera Talk" in the Pre-College Recital Hall 45 minutes prior to each show. For ticket information, call the Twichell Box Office at (864) 596-9725.

Giacomo Puccini’s Suor Angelica is set in a convent where Sister Angelica, seven years prior, was forced into the sisterhood by her aristocratic family when she bore a son out of wedlock. Since then, there has been no communication from her family; yet one day, through a sudden and surprise visit by her aunt, she learns that her child had been dead for two years. This news throws Angelica into a mental abyss, and she resigns to end her own life. After taking poison created from the herbs of her tended garden, she receives a vision of the Blessed Virgin who is joined by the son she never knew.

The contrasting show is the delightful children’s opera Little Red Riding Hood by Seymour Barab. While the story is familiar, this version offers a refreshing twist on its cherished characters. The Wolf has the same goal in mind as always…to enjoy having Little Red Riding Hood and Grandma for dinner…as a dual main course! What we learn in this production is the Wolf has a secret “condition.” He becomes violently ill at the mere mention of any food other than human. This proves to be his undoing, as Little Red, a curious schoolgirl with an aversion to history, and Grandma, a colorful, energetic, and assertive senior, work together to foil his plot.