One-Act Festival at Union Avenue Opera

Union Avenue Opera extends its offerings into the fall with the debut of its One-Act Festival, running October 10 and 11 at 7:30 PM and October 12 at 3:00 PM. This exciting new venture features bold contemporary works in an intimate setting, offering audiences a unique opportunity to experience compact, powerful storytelling from emerging and established composers.

The evening features two powerful chamber operas based on this year’s them of Exploring Identity and Injustice through Opera:

• dwb (driving while black) – A gripping one-woman opera exploring the emotional tension, fear, and love of a Black mother raising a son in America. Through music and monologue, it paints a portrait of parenting under the constant threat of racial injustice. Music by Susan Kander with a libretto by Roberta Gumbel.
• As One – A groundbreaking chamber opera for two voices and string quartet that follows the journey of a transgender protagonist from youth to adulthood in a deeply personal and moving coming-of-age story. Music and concept by Laura Kaminsky with libretto by Kimberly Reed.

These works offer a bold and intimate evening of opera that speaks urgently to our time. With themes of identity, vulnerability, and the search for understanding, this festival invites audiences into a space of empathy, reflection, and transformation. The 2025 One-Act Festival is made possible by a grant from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis and the Whitaker Foundation.