The Long Arc
episode 2
HEROES, 2021
In two art songs by Hilliard and Boresi and new operas by Fargo Moorhead Opera and Chicago Fringe Opera, we examine the self-reliance and persistence required of those who choose heroic acts.
Heroes is recommended for viewers age 13 and up.
This episode contains the implication of human trafficking.
Hero Songs: The Self
by Peter Hilliard and Matt Boresi
Commissioned by the Decameron Opera Coalition
John Castillo, baritone
A hero needs belief in their own identity and ability if they are to defend the dignity of their community against a world happy to marginalize those whom it does not immediately understand.
SACAJAWEA: WOMAN OF MANY NAMES
by Dawn Avery & Blake Hill-Saya
Commissioned by Fargo-Moorhead Opera - Fargo, ND
Sacajawea: Woman Of Many Names is a celebration of Sacajawea, the Lemhi Shoshone woman who was a guide, translator and crucial Corps member of Lewis and Clark's Expedition. She is a mysterious and sparsely documented figure who has captured imaginations for generations and for a myriad of reasons. This short operatic meditation on what may have been her experience was created by an all woman team, each with a strong tie to Native American ancestry and with careful guidance and ancestral prayers from a Shoshone advisor.
HERO SOngs: The Path
by Peter Hilliard and Matt Boresi
Commissioned by the Decameron Opera Coalition
Tesia Kwarteng, mezzo-soprano
Heroism doesn’t take place in a moment - it requires persistence and faith.
The Widow’s Will
By Elizabeth Rudolph & Bilal Dardai
Commissioned by Chicago Fringe Opera - Chicago, Illinois
The Widow’s Will celebrates the life and work of the mother of the environmental rights movement, activist Hazel M. Johnson. The Widow’s Will highlights Johnson’s struggle against the City of Chicago to bring attention to the toxic pollution of the Altgeld Gardens community. The film considers her legacy today, as well the effects of politics and racism on her work, ending with a call to action for audiences to continue her environmental activism.