Guerilla Opera Opens GIVER OF LIFE, 5/23

Guerilla Opera presents the World Premiere of Giver of Light, a new opera based on the life of the 13th-century poet, Rumi. Music and Libretto by composer Adam Roberts with electronic music by Anil Çamci and stage direction by Andrew Eggert. Giver of Light runs Thursday-Saturday, May 23-25, 2013 and Thursday-Friday, May 30-31, 2013. All performances are at 8 p.m. at The Zack Box Theater at The Boston Conservatory, 8 The Fenway, Boston, MA. Tickets for all performances are $15 general admission, $10 seniors and free for students with valid IDs; tickets can be purchased from The Boston Conservatory box office at (617) 912-9222 or online at www.bostonconservatory.edu/tickets. Performances are one hour long and sung in English.

Giver of Light is a drama inspired by the real life events of the 13th-century Sufi mystic poet, Rumi, whose life was forever changed after an encounter with the wandering mystic, the Shams of Tabriz. When Shams disappeared, Rumi spiraled into a deep sorrow, giving birth to much of the poetry we know today. Roberts' reimagination of this story in the present-day American Midwest breaks down and explores our various assumptions about what love is, who it can be between and how intimately linked it is to sexuality.

The opera follows John, a successful and socially conscious family man who seemingly has it all, but is troubled by a nagging emptiness that gnaws at his soul. When John encounters a mystic-who is also his son's school bus driver-his world is turned upside down and he pursues a friendship. But soon enough, John's wife grows suspicious of his relationship and sets off a series of events that question the mystic's integrity and forces John to make a decision that could forever change his life.

TALK-BACKS: Join composer Adam Roberts and Guerilla Opera for talk-backs immediately following each Friday night performance.

This program is made possible through the generosity of Timothy & Jane Gillette, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, The Ellis L Phillips Foundation, The Amphion Foundation and The Boston Conservatory Ensemble-in-Residence program.