disPLACE to Make North American Premiere at Theatre Off Jackson
The chamber opera by Raquel García-Tomàs and Joan Magrané features mezzo-soprano Julia Benzinger and baritone José Rubio.
Rising Waters Collective, in co-production with Theatre Off Jackson, has announced the North American premiere of disPLACE, a contemporary chamber opera by composers Raquel García-Tomás and Joan Magrané with libretto by Helena Tornero. Performed in English and Catalan with English subtitles, disPLACE runs August 21 at 7pm and August 22 at 2pm and 7pm at Theatre Off Jackson in Seattle's International District.
disPLACE gives voice to those caught in the tide of urban "renewal." Through two intertwining stories of loss, resilience, and belonging, it explores how the search for home collides with the forces of gentrification. Set amid the changing streets of a city in transformation, the opera asks who gets to stay, who is forced to move on and at what cost.
Performing the work in Theatre Off Jackson, a cornerstone institution of Seattle's International District, is not incidental. The International District is a neighborhood shaped by generations of migration, displacement, and enduring community. Here, the opera becomes a reflection of the changing city itself.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
disPLACE is directed by Kelly Kitchens and conducted by Jay Rozendaal. The cast features mezzo-soprano Julia Benzinger and baritone José Rubio, with cellist Grant Olson and violist Kayleigh Miller, and lighting design by Trevor Cushman, stage management by Quinn Chase, and assistant stage management by Amanda Balter.
The work was composed by Raquel García-Tomás and Joan Magrané, two of Catalonia's most compelling contemporary compositional voices, with libretto by Helena Tornero. Originally produced in Catalonia, disPLACE makes its North American premiere in Seattle, a city whose own neighborhoods are living the opera's central questions.
"Chamber opera strips everything away and gives the audience a front row seat to the power and vulnerability of the human voice. With disPLACE, we are bringing two cultures together: Catalonia and the Pacific Northwest. These two regions share more than one might expect: a deep history of vibrant arts and culture, a shared anarchist and underdog spirit, and the ongoing struggle with rapid gentrification and unaffordability. Partnering with Theatre Off Jackson roots the production in the very community whose story it tells, making the theatre itself a vital character in the storytelling." - Julia Benzinger, Co-Founder and Artistic Director, Rising Waters Collective
Rising Waters Collective is a Seattle-based chamber opera company founded in December 2024 by co-directors Holly Boaz, Julia Benzinger, Ibidunni Ojikutu, and Lucy Weber. Operating under fiscal sponsorship through Shunpike, RWC is dedicated to bringing chamber opera closer: to more people, in more places, with more stories that haven't been told yet. disPLACE is part of RWC's inaugural Currents Festival, running August 8 - 22, 2026 and also featuring the West Coast premiere of Sheila Silver's Songs of Resilience and the Rising Artists Showcase.
Theatre Off Jackson has been a cultural anchor of Seattle's Chinatown-International District since 1987, providing affordable, artist-ready performance space for small arts groups and independent artists in the heart of a neighborhood shaped by generations of migration, displacement, and enduring community.
"Theatre Off Jackson has long been committed to presenting work that amplifies underrepresented voices and engages urgent social issues. disPLACE explores the human impact of displacement and gentrification, themes that resonate deeply within Seattle's rapidly changing neighborhoods. We are honored to host the North American premiere and to provide a space for artists and audiences to engage in meaningful dialogue about community, belonging, and cultural preservation." - Susan Lieu, Executive Director, Theatre Off Jackson.
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