The fourth iteration of Overtone Industries' ground-breaking Original Vision Development Program was directed by O-Lan Jones and music directed by Fahad Siadat, Original Vision IV: the Deeps included scenes from operas in development by Brian Gyamfi & Collin Kemeny, Ruth Margraff & Richard Marriot, and Pedro Pascoali.

Featured musicians included Molly Pease, Scott Graff, Sharon Chohi Kim, Kion Heidari, and Brightwork newmusic. Works showcased include:

THE ANTS ARE ILLUMINATED by Brian Gyamfi & Collin Kemeny

A group of spirits connect with a street performer in Los Angeles. They find themselves locked in a city of capitalism, dependent on Calypso, a street magician who wants to use her magic to help them return home.

The Fishermen by Pedro Pascoali features two very different, very hungry fishermen friends. They are visited by a Creature bringing unexpected abundance. 

BAYAHA (danger) by Ruth Margraff & Richard Marriot is a new myth about two sisters who have drifted apart as glaciers melt, one to the South and one to the North—and a wayfarer who descends to the depths to comb the sister’s hair free of the pollution that has gathered in it.

Original Vision: Leveling 2023

Overtone Industries is pleased to introduce the third cohort of composer-librettist teams as part of the Original Vision development workshop. This year we are working with an award-winning, accomplished cohort including classical composers, folk musicians, playwrights, and electronic musicians, all of whom are creating new Mythic worlds that will be brought to life through Opera.

This year's scenes include:

RANSOM PLACE by Daniel Hass & Jameel Martin

In a neighborhood marked for demolition, two companions, Mr. K and Gerald, hold an abandoned building hostage. An invisible force, the Stagehand, perceived only by Mr. K, picks apart what’s left of the place. A ghost of the past barges in: a delirious, zombie-like woman, recounting her sad tale to no-one in particular. In this eerie landscape, Mr. K and Gerald struggle to shed their illusions and face the unsettling reality of their situation.

THE JOINING by Aiden Feltkamp & Isaac Io Schankler

The Joining tells the story of two cultures, one who lives on the surface and another that lives below it, interacting for the first time in recorded history. The workshop scene features Frem, the Undergrounder sent to deal with the Overlanders, demonstrating their personal golem. The golem are automaton-like inventions who commonly serve as assistants in the Underground. During Frem's presentation to stakeholders in a major Overland company, the new prototype golem begins to show more individuality than any of them expected.

FAY AT BEGONIA by Maesa Pullman

Wayward and out of work, Fay wanders the gardens of Begonia, a utopian colony built into the hills by a group of mystic philosophers. She is swallowed by the mind-bending clutches of the colony, and under the influence of the group’s leader, Anne. When Begonia begins to crumble, Anne’s ego flares and the underbelly of truth rises up. In a fit of disillusionment, by the light of a full moon, Fay runs away from Begonia through winding canyon roads. She comes to a fruit orchard where she eats a glowing peach, begins to sing, and experiences something divine.

*This performance was made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.*

Original Vision: Milagros 2021-22

We are thrilled to announce this season's participants for Original Vision! This is our second year of the program and we are looking forward to mentoring these artists in the creation of new mythic works.

Our participants come from an astonishing variety of backgrounds – from established artists to those at the beginning of their careers. This year we will be working with an award-winning cohort including classical composers, rock musicians, playwrights, and fashion designers, all of whom are creating new and exciting worlds that will be brought to life on stage.

This year's scenes include:

MARROW, BY GILLIAN RAE PERRY AND SOCKS WHITMORE

What if the Tooth Fairy was a bone-magic witch who fed on the theft of your innocence? In this dark spin on a familiar mythology, meet Marrow: a grown-up who relieves children of tiny pieces of themselves that lose their usefulness as they age.

PALO SECO, BY TIM HOLT AND JESSICA FIGUEROA

Taking place during the Yaqui Wars, a little-known campaign of enslavement and genocide perpetrated by the Mexican government against the Yaqui tribe, this piece follows a father and son on a journey home as they realize they are no longer safe in their ancestral lands.

INSULT, BY JOHN BALLINGER

The true, personal story of a husband and wife dealing with a sudden ruptured brain aneurysm. is an exploration of the events, process, and necessity for personal and spiritual transformation in the face of seemingly insurmountable and constant physical pain, disease, and suffering.

*This performance was made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.*

Original Vision: Maiden Voyage 2020-21

UNTITLED AUNT JEMIMA OPERA, BY JASON BARABBA AND JUNE CARYL

This scene explores the origins of the fictional character Aunt Jemima as shew as revealed the Chicago World's Fair, and the historical figure of Nancy Green who originally depicted her.

HYSTERIA, BY MOLLY PEASE AND DIVYA MAUS

Inspired by 'treatments' for hysteria from the late 19th Century and the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" from the same era, this scene tells the story of a woman's struggle against her family and doctor as they seek to 'cure' her ailments.

AZURE'S HANDS, BY LIVIA REINER AND LILY MIN REN

A mythical story of young woman with cursed hands that break anything they touch and her journey to find healing as she contends with the history and spectres that reside in her subconscious to find freedom. 

*This film was made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.*