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Ululations and Gurgles of the Invisible is a boundary-breaking, interdisciplinary opera by Elisabet Curbelo, developed and produced by Guerilla Opera in collaboration with the Urban Jazz Dance Company and Deaf artists. Drawing inspiration from the poems of Federico García Lorca, the work unfolds in four movements for soprano, piano, percussion, and 4–5 dancers from the Deaf community, integrating American and (ASL) as the driving force of the narrative.
Unlike traditional opera, where sign language is used solely for accessibility, Ululations centers ASL as an expressive, narrative language for all performers—including the musicians, who sign while playing their instruments. The production uses wearable motion-sensor technology to connect gesture and sound, creating a surrealist world where visual and auditory experiences are deeply intertwined.
The opera investigates themes of isolation, oppression, communication, community, and transcendence, with each movement inspired by Lorca’s evocative poetry. The cast includes Deaf and hearing artists, such as percussionist Mike Williams (“The Silent Boy”), dancer Zahna Simon (“The Guiding Light”), pianist Yoko Hagino (“The Shadow”), and soprano Angela Yam (“The Queen of Crickets”), with choreography by Antoine Hunter and projections by Daniel B. Chapman.
Through its innovative blend of music, dance, sign language, and technology, Ululations and Gurgles of the Invisible challenges traditional boundaries of opera and invites audiences—Deaf and hearing alike—on a journey through the unseen and unheard forces that shape our lives.