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Mechanisms

A 20-minute opera about a neurodivergent girl in her fifth-grade math class. Music by J.E. Hernández | Libretto by Marianna Mott Newirth

New Works
Collective 2024 OTSL

Opera Theatre’s New Works Collective is a disruption of the traditional commissioning model: it gives decision-making power to the community through a collective of St. Louis residents.

A cohort of artists: composers, librettists, singers, conductors and musicians gathered for a photo after a workshop performance at Opera Theatre of St Louis

Composers, Conductors, Librettists, Directors, Singers & Pianists... Oh MY!! ; )
group shot at the conclusion of 2nd workshop

Production Stills from Mechanisms

An 11 year old girl wearing pink overalls sits on the floor with a pencil, trying to figure out how to hold it the same way everybody else does. Behind her is a black and white image drawing of a living room projected on the wall behind her.

A girl in 5th grade math class dressed in pink overalls is surrounded by her classmates dressed in orange, pink and green. they are kneeling on the floor and taunting the girl in overalls because she does not understand math.

A very dark stage setting with five people sitting at school desks holding up math books. Behind them is a dark image of a school room

Against a brightly colored image of a living room, A girl in pink overalls kneels on her favorite carpet on the floor. Her parents are kneeling with her in a loving embrace.

A cast of extremely talented opera singers dressed in bright colors stand on stage taking final bows while the set overhead shows colorful letters and numbers floating overhead.

A cast of extremely talented opera singers dressed in bright colors stand on stage taking final bows while the set overhead shows colorful letters and numbers floating overhead.

An illustration of a mouth shouting a happy announcement. The words, The New Work Collective appear to be coming from the mouth. below is subheading, Experience the future of opera with a date March 14 - 16, 2024

Gratitude to OTSL for empowering new opera works to grow, thrive and come to the stage for everyone to experience and enjoy.

a swirl of primary colors swimming across the page to reveal a background of muted, vertical stripes. Written across the page in thick black marker is the word Mechanisms in hand written scribble

a group of talented artists; musicians and writers ready to make opera happen.

Deborah DEEP Mouton, Jasmine Barnes, Ron Maurice (J Mae Barizo absent), Jose Hernández & Marianna Mott Newirth at the Sally Levy Opera Center in St Louis MO. March 2023

Maestro Darwin Aquino conducts a string quartet in workshop - December 2023

Official press announcement for the creative cohort of OTSL New Works Collective 2024.

A window filled with Post-It notes containing information for the opera Mechanisms

Image of hand made book art standing open atop the libretto of the same story.

Then it gets pulled apart, spread out on the floor and put back together as a libretto.

An organized stack of papers with colorful popup cards labeling the various beats of each moment in the opera Mechanisms.

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