The Open Boat: A Night on the Sea
An opera scene by Simon Fink Libretto adapted from “The Open Boat” (1897) and collected poetry of Stephen Crane
Synopsis: Three shipwreck survivors — the Captain, the Cook, and a Correspondent — are stranded in a small boat in the middle of the ocean. Night falls and their visceral panic shifts to a more contemplative existential frustration with Fate. The Correspondent questions why he should be made to perish on the sea after surviving the shipwreck intact. In response, the Captain and the Cook try to explain the indifference of the universe and the absurdity of looking for conclusive answers. All the while, the ocean — in its vast completeness — rolls on, drinking down the noise of men.
May, 2013 Paragraph Gallery Kansas City, MO
Correspondent: Stacey Stofferahn
Captain: Jessica Salley
Cook: Anna Louise Hoard
Black House Collective: Teri Quinn, clarinet Russell Thorpe, bass clarinet Hunter Long, tenor saxophone Ashley Hirt, trombone Bradley Van Wick, The Sea (electronics) Elizabeth Houghland, violin Nadine Long and Stamos Martin, cello John Chittum, conductor
Lisa Cordes, Production and Stage Director
Alison Heryer, Art Director
Simon Fink 