The Double, a Dostoevsky opera by Vera Ivanova and Sarah LaBrie

Vera Ivanova: The Double
Sarah LaBrie, librettist
Jon Lee Keenan, tenor (Noth)
Anna Schubert, soprano (Klara)
Scott Graff, baritone (Therapist)
Timur, tenor (The Double)
Alexander Gedeon, director
Marc Lowenstein, conductor
The Brightwork Ensemble
Alejandro Melendez, lighting design
Lena Sands, costume design
The Double questions how our outward depiction of ourselves impacts our perceptions of reality. The opera’s troubled hero believes that his digital social profile, created by him, is acting independently in an attempt to take over his life. Ultimately, the audience is left asking if he really is losing his mind, or if he can see a reality we all have missed.
Librettist Sarah LaBrie says of the script, “When Vera Ivanova approached me with this project, my first thought was that this story would offer an incredible opportunity to play with the concept of identity and the way it changes as our lives migrate increasingly online. Now, however, I’ve come to understand that the significance of The Double to our current cultural moment runs much deeper than that. In 2022, many of us are coming to terms with what it means to be a citizen of a country founded on a dream that clashes glaringly with the reality many of us confront.”
Presented as part of Synchromy’s Opera Workshop program
For more information, or for the full workshop video, email [e-mail]