Music and libretto by Rudolf Rojahn

In 1974, Ray Lee Clopas, a newly paroled pedophile, returns to his sleepy South Carolina hometown.

Composer: Rudolf Rojahn

Libretto: Rudolf Rojahn

Duration: 40min

Instrumentation: 3 sop, mezzo, ct, ten, bari, actor, fl, vc, sax, perc

Director: Sally Stunkel

Premiere: 2008

Status: Retired

HISTORY

World Premiere - September, 17 2008

ABOUT THE OPERA

In 1974, Ray Lee Clopas, a newly paroled pedophile, returns to his sleepy South Carolina hometown. His mother attempts to hide her son’s blighted past by forcing him to pose as a Vietnam veteran. As her poorly conceived ruse begins to fall apart Momma decides to cure her son once and for all. With the help of a sweat-drenched minister, the town prostitute, an alcoholic, a doctor, a one-armed coward and others, this black farce explores the nature of guilt and innocence.

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Rudolf Rojahn (Co-Artistic Director emeritus) is a composer of contemporary art music. He was the composer-in-residence for Boston’s Ludovico Ensemble from 2005-2010, a collaboration that resulted in several pieces including Antikythera Mechanism for bass clarinet and ensemble. He has also been commissioned and performed by the Quincy Symphony Orchestra, Juventas New Music Ensemble, the Lorelei Ensemble, the Arbelos Trio, Gabriela Diaz, Kent O’Doherty, Rane Moore, and the Green Light Consortium among others. From 2004-2006 he ran the Proletariat Tanning Salon, an event series pairing young composers and visual artists such as Camille Wainer and Nicole Margaretten. He has written three opera for Guerilla Opera: Heart of a Dog (2007), We are Sons(2009), and Bovinus Rex (2012).