Young Montreal theatre company dishes up indie opera with a twist

Of all the genres in the performing arts, opera may be the least accessible — at least in part because of its association with upper-class culture and its predilection for pomp.

Even the most enthusiastic opera lovers might admit the form has a reputation for being somewhat stuffy.

Lindsay Connolly, a mezzo-soprano who recently graduated with a master's in opera and voice from McGill University, understands all that. Whenever she takes her brothers to the opera, she's prepared for a little pushback.

"What do I wear? How do I act? When do I clap? It can be super intimidating," she told CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

Connolly is the co-artistic director of 23 Degree Theatre, a recently launched company that aims to challenge the way people think about opera, presenting them with something entirely different from the norm.

Her company is labelled "indie opera" because it provides a modern-day twist on the classic productions of Carmen or Madame Butterfly that one might see staged by the Opéra de Montréal.

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Questioning expectations

Tickets are now on sale for their second show, Expectations, a series of one-act operas whose stated goal is to "help you question your expectations ... what you think is right (theatrically, morally, socially)."

One of those pieces, Yellow Wallpaper, is based on a story about a young woman who is being gaslit by her husband, and her descent into psychosis.

Another, Pursuit, is the story of a coffee shop barista and her relationship with one of her customers.

Needless to say, these aren't typical operatic settings.

"We want to communicate stories that aren't told in traditional opera," Connolly said.

Diverse composers

The company's mission isn't just to make opera accessible to new audiences, it's also to diversify what's on stage.

"The traditional opera canon is a lot of white male composers, and they're amazing. The works are fantastic," said Connolly.

"Our goal is to majorly expand the repertoire."

This means a focus on composers of colour and women whose voices aren't well-represented by mainstream companies.

23 Degree Theatre held its inaugural show at Sottorenea, an intimate space in the basement of Sala Rossa on St-Laurent Boulevard.

Their second show includes five pieces and runs for just over an hour.

Connolly says that the small concert venue is an additional twist on the grand halls where opera is usually performed.

"What we're hoping to do through it is challenge our audience's perspective," she said.

Expectations runs May 19, 20 and 22 at Sottorenea. General admission tickets are $25.