Menotti’s The Consul
Rose Freeman, director
Alexandra Enyart, conductor
Jason Carlson, music director
Third Eye Theatre Ensemble, Chicago, IL
Lifan Deng, The Police Agent & Mr. Kofner
Photos: Clint Funk
Magda and her family are desperate to escape an unsafe country, yet are relentlessly hindered by bureaucratic red tape. When appearing at the consulate to receive help, Magda is met with a chilling, apathetic Secretary who is numb to the stories churning around her. Faced with indifference, Magda delivers a stunning rebuke for the way we treat our fellow humans in need. While Menotti skillfully focuses the story on Magda, he gently lifts a mirror to our society through the rule-abiding Secretary. The Consul challenges us to look inward and ask ourselves, "What would I do?"
Reviews
“Standouts in the excellent cast include Deng, who played two contrasting characters—a sneering, malevolent policeman and the nebbishy Mr. Kofner, a man perpetually having to correct mistakes in his documents.”
— Mary Wisniewski, Newcity Stage
“Also notable were the deep-voiced Lifan Deng, doubling as Mr. Kofner and the odious Secret Agent, …”
— Lawrence A. Johnson, Chicago Classical Review
“I want to give a special shout-out to Lifan Deng who plays two different characters who are polar opposites, including at least one insane quick change, and absolutely kills both of them.”
— Claire DiVizio, Opera Director
Der Kaiser von Atlantis
Der Kaiser von Atlantis
Joachim Schamberger, director;
Alan Pierson, conductor; Contemporary Music Ensemble
Northwestern University Opera Theater, Evanston, IL
Lifan Deng, Emperor Überall
Photos: Elliot Mandel, Joachim Schamberger.
When the cruel Emperor orders a senseless total war, Death decides to put an end to the chaos by going on strike. The people long for a release from the struggles of life, but only by willingly going to his own death can the Emperor convince Death to resume his role. Composed in the concentration camp at Terezin between 1943 and 1944, and finally premiered by the Netherlands Opera in 1975, Viktor Ullmann’s The Emperor of Atlantis is both a satire on militarism and an unsettling contemplation of what life might be like if humankind were given immortality. In this new staging with additional musical selections, the story introduces further questions about the nature of information and propaganda in the age of artificial intelligence.
