Long Beach Opera to Present HOPE AND HEALING This Weekend

On Saturday afternoon, February 20, 2016, Long Beach Opera (LBO) presents HOPE AND HEALING at the Veterans Administration Hospital of Long Beach.

Discover how the first opera composed about the Iraq War can bring veterans out of isolation and lead to healing. Join a conversation with U.S. Marine veteran Christian Ellis, whose life and work inspired Fallujah. Meet composer Tobin Stokes and Iraqi-American playwright Heather Raffo as they introduce their work about the aftermath of war and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). See how the visual artwork of two Iraq War veterans will become part of the opera, revealing its therapeutic potential. Hear excerpts from the upcoming world premiere of Fallujah sung by cast members. Engage the panelists in a talkback discussion. The afternoon will reveal how art and music can not only deepen our understanding of war and its painful consequences, but also open the doors to hope and healing.

Fallujah is as current as today's news. In this emotionally engaging opera, a U.S. Marine who participated in the Battle of Fallujah brings the war home with him after he is wounded and discharged. In his struggle with PTSD, the strength of his mother and the vivid memories of a young Iraqi boy, who befriended him and later became a victim of the war, help the Marine find a path to reconciliation and recovery.

On average 22 veterans commit suicide every day, a mortality rate which far exceeds combat statistics. This grim cost of war is paid not only by the soldiers individually, but by their families, friends, and communities. Medical experts finally recognize that PTSD, although invisible, is as real a wound of war as physical battle scars.

Panelists include the creators of the opera - composer Tobin Stokes, librettist Iraqi-American Heather Raffo, and story consultant U.S. Marine Christian Ellis; Andreas Mitisek, LBO's artistic and general director who will also stage the opera; VA PTSD expert, Dr. John Huang; and veteran artists Michael Hebert and Jon Harguindeguy. Following a formal discussion, the audience will be invited to ask the panelists questions.

HOPE AND HEALING will take place from 3:30 pm to 5:45 pm. Light refreshments will be served.

IF YOU GO:

HOPE AND HEALING

When: Saturday, February 20, 2016, from 3:30 PM to 5:45 PM

Where: Learning Center, VA Hospital, 5901 E 7th St, Long Beach, CA 90822

Admission: Free event. Reservations can be made online at www.longbeachopera.org.

EVENT SCHEDULE:

3:30 - 400 PM Light refreshments

4:00 - 4:10 PM Introduction by LBO Artistic and General Director Andreas Mitisek

4:10 - 4:30 PM Excerpts from Fallujah performed by members of the Cast

4:30 - 5:15 PM Panel Discussion (Andreas Mitisek, Tobin Stokes, Heather Raffo, Christian

Ellis, Dr. John Huang, Michael Hebert, Jon Harguindeguy.)

5:15 - 5:45 PM Q & A with the Audience

Beginning March 12 and ending March 20, 2016, Fallujah will be given its world premiere by LBO in partnership with explore.org. The work will be staged at the Army National Guard Armory, 854 E 7th Street, Long Beach. Tickets for the six performances are currently being sold through the LBO Box Office (562-432-5934) and on www.longbeachopera.org. Background on Fallujah and bios of the creative team and cast members can also be found on the website.

Additional Free Event: Film Screening of THAT WHICH I LOVE DESTROYS ME
Presented by LBO in collaboration with the Art Theatre of Long Beach

The documentary That Which I Love Destroys Me is an uncensored look at the current epidemic of PTSD and severe mental trauma being experienced by service members returning from war. Released in March 2015, this film by Director Ric Roman Waugh documents the struggle by Jayson Ford and Tyler Grey, two elite soldiers who return from Afghanistan bearing the invisible wound of war - PTSD, leading to alcohol and drug addiction.

Date: February 27, 2016

Where: Art Theatre of Long Beach, 2025 E. 4th Street, Long Beach, CA. 90814

Runtime: 65 minutes

Admission: Free event. Includes the film and light refreshments.

Program Schedule:

10:50-11:00 AM Remarks by LBO Director Andreas Mitisek and special guests (TBA)

11:00-12:05 PM Screening of That Which I Love Destroys Me

12:05-12:30 PM Q & A with the audience

Long Beach Opera (LBO) is internationally known for its cutting-edge interpretations of unconventional repertoire. LBO creates immediate, inventive, and often boldly avant-garde productions for an adventurous audience and stands apart from most opera companies in the number of world, American, and West Coast premieres the company has staged. Founded in 1979, it is the oldest professional opera company in the Los Angeles/Orange County region with a performance history of more than 110 operas, ranging from the earliest works of the 17th century to operas of the 21st.

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