As one, the chamber opera by the American composer Laura Kaminsky that shows a journey of self-knowledge and acceptance, opens on March 16 at the Teatro Libre de Chapinero (Bogotá). The co-production between La Compañía Estable and the Universidad de los Andes de Bogotá has a staging by Pedro Salazar and a cast made up of the mezzo-soprano Juana Monsalve and the baritone Camilo Mendoza. The musical direction will be in charge of Rondy Torres.

As one is a chamber opera for two soloists and string quartet composed in 2014 by the renowned American composer Laura Kaminsky (New York, 1956), with an English libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed. The opera focuses on the inner journey of Hannah, a transgender woman, and her process of personal discovery from her childhood in a small town, the doubts during her adolescence, her time in school and university, and ends with a journey in the foreigner where he begins to understand more about his identity and his place in the world.

The staging by Pedro Salazar focuses on Hanna’s human experience and the encounter with herself, “concerning little with the external appearance of the character and thus avoiding falling into hackneyed stereotypes,” according to the production team behind this opera.

“Hannah after” will be performed by the mezzo-soprano Juana Monsalve and “Hannah before” by the baritone Camilo Mendoza. The musical direction will be under the baton of Rondy Torres in front of the quartet made up of Paula Castañeda, Juanita Rodríguez, Diana Hincapié and María Fernanda Flórez. For his part, Ronald Perilla, musician and member of the Escena Digital platform, is the head of production and management.

Since its Brooklyn premiere in 2014, As one, the second opera in composer Laura Kaminsky’s repertoire, has been performed in New York, Seattle, San Diego, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Montreal, Berlin, Melbourne, Madrid, Bilbao and London. Thanks to a co-production between La Compañía Estable and the Universidad de los Andes, As one will be presented in Bogotá (Colombia) on March 16 at the Chapinero Free Theater, on April 22 at the El Ensueño Theater and on April 28 at the Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Municipal Theater.

Artistic team

• Musical Director: Rondy Torres
• Stage Director: Pedro Salazar
• Art director: Julián Hoyos
• Production: The Stable Company and Universidad de los Andes
• Hannah before: Camilo Mendoza
• Hannah after: Juana Monsalve

Quartet:

• Violin I: Paula Castañeda
• Violin II: Juanita Rodríguez
• Viola: Diana Hincapie
• Cello: Maria Fernanda Flórez

Technical team:

• Lighting: Humberto Hernandez
• Videographer: Luis David Cáceres
• Costume design: Nicolas Dudit
• Head of production and management: Ronald Perilla
• Assistant director and producer: Juliana Morales
• Translation and subtitles: Marta Kovacsics