San Francisco (SF) Lyric Opera returns to Fort Mason Center this month for the second in their trilogy of operas at the Cowell Theater. In March, the company performed Giacomo Puccini’s ever-popular La Bohème, and Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida is slated for next September. The Turn of the Screw — by British composer Benjamin Britten — is the offering this May and June.
Based on the novella of the same name by Henry James, The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a new governess who gradually comes to the realization that her young charges may be controlled by outside forces. The opera contains many of Britten’s favorite themes: innocence destroyed, the persecution of the outsider, and good versus evil. The overriding theme of the natural versus the supernatural can be compared to the psychological thriller films popular today.
For more than a dozen years the SF Lyric Opera has presented operas in traditional stagings and in their original languages (with English subtitles where appropriate). They are dedicated to presenting classical opera at prices most people can afford and to providing a venue for young opera singers to perform.
Outreach to children is an important part of SF Lyric Opera’s mission. At every performance ten percent of the seats are available to children from the San Francisco Unified School District at no charge. Also, admission is free to all children under twelve at all performances.
Be scared, thrilled, and vastly entertained with The Turn of the Screw this month and next. See May 30 in the calendar for more information and visit www.sflyricopera.org.
— Jovanne Reilly
Images:
The Turn Of The Screw: Anja Strauss, Trey Costerisan
