Review: DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES at The Barns At Wolf Trap

Wolf Trap Opera continues to breathe new life into the art form, and this weekend’s performance of Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites was a special treat. The Barns was a perfect setting for this intimate work, allowing us to study the sisters’ faces as they contemplated and discussed friendship, death, fears and other core beliefs. In a larger theater the sisters’ largely-identical habits would have made it difficult to tell who was singing but here we could distinguish the characters easily. 

Gemma Nha as Sister Constance was an utter delight, leaving me laughing out loud at her proclamation, upon learning that Mother Superior was dying, “when one is 59, isn’t it time to die?” Her impressive vocal range matched her acting chops as she evolved from a spunky, know-it-all to a brave, committed nun. 

Erin Wagner as the lead role, Blanche de la Force, was also strong. While Madame de Croissy’s attachment to her has never made much sense to me in the plot, Wagner embraced her character’s singular loneliness fully. While she has a dear brother and a dear friend in which to confide, ultimately her choices are her own, even when they distance her from her birth or chosen families. 

Lauren E. Moten III’s set design was also outstanding. With the orchestra placed upstage, in partial view behind the cloister wall, we had a sense of the world outside of the convent. The stage, shaped like a cross, thrust into the audience at an angle, creating a fitting setting for dialogue and prayer, while suggesting something just slightly off-kilter within Blanche, and France at large. 

The orchestra, conducted by Geoffrey McDonald, brought a moody intensity to the score, but the violins in particular sounded under-rehearsed, dragging slightly behind tempo a few times. Still, with undoubtedly limited rehearsal time, Director Katherine M. Carter created an immersive world, one both of another time and place and also highly psychological. 

My only gripe is that I’d love to see Wolf Trap, perhaps in partnership with another festival, commission new work. The works selected are widely performed, which appeals to audiences but does not push the art form forward. Still, it’s a fantastic venue for young talent and well worth a trip to Wolf Trap to see whatever is on offer. 

Performances of Dialogues run through Saturday, July 26. Go see it!

Runtime: Approximately three hours, with one intermission.

Photo Credit: Gemma Nha, Ayanna Lewis, photo by Rich Kessler.