Original Vision 2023-24

Call for Proposals of New Opera-Theater Works

Submit your application here by July 1st, 2023.

• About  Original Vision

Overtone Industries is pleased to announce a call for proposals of New Opera-Theater Works as part of our Original Vision development workshop and presentation in the Fall of 2023. We are looking for new stories of mythic proportion.

Hailed as “an unparalleled creative, contemporary success” and “Beautifully experimental, the [pieces]...perfectly translate for modern ears, ideals, and sensibilities. They are dark, full-bodied, delicious, and potent” (Broadway World), Original Vision is an opportunity for Overtone Industries to support creative voices as they develop interdisciplinary work in the vein of Overtone’s mythic storytelling model. 

The project includes a six-week development period with mentorship from Overtone’s artistic leadership and will culminate in three composer/librettist teams presenting new scenes performed and directed by Overtone’s creative team at the Teatro Frida Kahlo, near Downtown Los Angeles.

• About Mythic Storytelling

Some people define Myth as less than fact; we see it as more than fact - A Myth is a way to communicate on many levels at the same time; to see our human experience as the anchor and evidence of ancient impulses, current understanding, and cosmic laws we can only glimpse.

Creating new myths requires people who can feel a narrative from all those perspectives and tell their own story through a vivid personal lens. Magic, mystery and the extraordinary as part of our everyday lives are welcome!

• Guidelines and Submission Process
  • There is no submission fee for this call for proposals.
  • This opportunity is open to artists in any location, however in-person participation will be required for the six weeks of workshops as well as the performance weekend. Attendance is encouraged during the rehearsal process as availability allows.
  • At this time, we are only considering new works based on original stories rather than adaptations or retellings of existing myths.

• Submission Requirements:
  • Scores and recordings (no midi realizations please) of two musical samples, one must show writing for the voice.
  • One writing sample of poetry, lyrics, or dialogue
  • 250 word proposal of your work including major themes and how it relates to the notion of Mythic Storytelling as defined above. 
  • Please describe relevant characters and imagined forces necessary for the production (number of singers, types of instrumentation, etc.), and which section you want to develop as part of Original Vision.
  • Please include a short statement about why you are interested in the type of work Overtone creates and what you hope to receive from the mentorship process.
  • 100 word bio for each collaborating artist.
  • Websites for collaborating artists (applicants must have a website).
  • Please do not email attachments. Rather, include links to all work samples and other information. You may also send a link to a google drive, dropbox, or other cloud service folder where all the materials are kept. Please make all such links active through July, 2023.

• Timeline:
  • June 1st - Announce Project
  • July 1st - Deadline for Application
  • July 22nd - Participants are selected and informed of acceptance
  • Sept 12th - Oct 17th. Weekly workshops (tentatively on Tuesdays)
  • Nov. 15th - Final drafts of scores are sent to performers
  • Nov 28th. - Rehearsals begin
  • Dec. 9th - Performance weekend

• Scene Parameters:   

Each scene will be 10-15 minutes in length and will include up to four singers (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) and up to four instrumentalists (Piano, Violin, ‘Cello, Percussion). Live electronics, including keyboard, triggered percussion, or tape, are also welcome.

Submit your application here by July 1st, 2023.

Contact [email protected] with questions. We look forward to seeing your proposals!

Previous Original Vision Productions

Previous scenes from past Original Vision productions can be seen on our YouTube Page Here

Original Vision 2021-22

A warm welcome to this year's librettist/composer teams!

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.

Upcoming Performances

May 14th, 2022 @ 12pm

CSU Fullerton, Clayes Performing Arts Center - room 119

This initial workshop performance is free and open to the public

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May 15th, 2022 at 7pm

Teatro Frida Kahlo

2332 W Fourth St.

Los Angeles, CA 90057

Tickets available at https://www.overtoneindustries.org/original_vision_milagros

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.