Behind the Scenes: Opus

A hearty Hello to all you O&A theatre goers or would-be theatre goers. I am thrilled to report that the November 19th experience at American Stage is one you won’t want to miss!

I had an opportunity to get a sneak peak last week, and my reaction was WOW! American Stage has outdone itself with this exceptionally fine production of the award winning play, Opus by Michael Hollinger. Director Dan Lombardo has bestowed his actors with a vision of the play that surely must excite them, as they inhabit their characters completely. The result is, for us, an evening of sheer theatrical joy.

It is the story of a group of musicians, who play in a classical string quartet. One of their members has disappeared, and as the play begins, we find them auditioning for a replacement. They need to make a decision rather quickly, as they have been invited to the White House to play. This, obviously, is the opportunity of a lifetime – and the result could mean great fame for the group. As this compelling story unfolds, the lives and circumstances of the players become the food for all types of conflict. Will they reach their goal? Will they stay together? Will one of the group fall in love with another? If you think I’m going to give away the answer, you’re wrong. You’ve got to see it!

Since this is a play that uses a famous classical sting quartet as its focal point, there is an abundance of music to savor, and the music is used to underscore the dramatic tension that unfolds, adding to the texture, but never dominating. There is nothing like the special sound that comes from a string quartet. It is like a whole orchestra reduced to four instruments. The players exist in a musical democracy, and they all rely on one another for precision and the ability to convey the soul of the music they are playing. What happens when personal discord enters this matrix? Can they over-ride their emotions for the sake of their art? Again, this is what makes the play work so well.

Although the New York Times summarized this as a play about “[s]ex, drugs, and chamber music,” also know that what transpires in this 90-minute wonder is a story that should clearly speak to all of us. Why? Within the interplay that occurs between these gifted members of the quartet, we experience, as they do, fear, anxiety, jealousy, love, the need to be right, and the list goes on. As theatre goers, we expect to be entertained, and if we get a twinge of the feeling that we’ve been where these people are, or that we actually care about what is happening to them, then we walk away with something special indeed. This is what you will get when you see Opus. And, without giving away anything, just when you think you know what is going to happen, the playwright delivers an emotional jolt at the end – clearly showing us that life is indeed unpredictable.

So, have I enticed you? I hope so. I look forward to your joining us all for O&A’s night at the theater, including an exclusive post-show meet-and-greet with cast members as well as wonderful refreshments. (For tickets, click here.)

See you there!
Robert Jaquay, O&A Culture Coach

Robert Jaquay has devoted his life to the arts and to LGBT issues.  He served as a member of the New York Library Association, the American Library Association, the Board of the Capital District Gay & Lesbian Center, the Gay & Lesbian Task Force, was president of the Board of Directors for the Aids Council of Northeastern NY, and chaired the ALA/GLBTRT Stonewall Book Awards Committee.  His love of the theatre has brought him to countless productions in NYC and beyond, and he and his partner also established a theatre scholarship at the South Colonie School District in Colonie, NY.

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