Costume Designer

### Event Description: Portland Opera to Go's "Shizue: An American Story"

**Event Overview:**
This fall, Portland Opera proudly presents the world premiere of "Shizue: An American Story," the latest installment in the Our Oregon Project. Composed by Kenji Oh with a libretto by Dmae Lo Roberts, this 50-minute youth opera illuminates the remarkable life of Shizue Iwatsuki. Born into a wealthy family and trained in the arts of poetry and ikebana, Shizue married Kamegoro and moved to his orchard in Hood River, Oregon. Her life journey encapsulates both the hope and horror experienced by Japanese Americans, from the joy of harvesting fresh strawberries to the injustice of America's incarceration camps. Through it all, Shizue embodies the concept of "gaman," enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity.

**Performance Details:**
- **Length:** 50 minutes, no intermission
- **Language:** English with English captions
- **Accessibility:** Audio description and ASL interpretation available
- **Venue:** To Be Determined (TBD)
- **Ticketing:** Single tickets will go on sale in August. Tickets are sold as "Pay what you Wish," with a minimum price of $5.00 and a suggested price of $35.00.

**Cast & Crew:**
- **Stage Director:** Dmae Lo Roberts
- **Younger Shizue:** Lindsey Nakatani
- **Elder Shizue:** Chihiro Asano
- **Kamegoro:** Jietong Fu
- **Various Men:** Edward Tavalin
- **Scenic Designer:** John Kashiwabara
- **Costume Designer:** Wanda Walden

**Tour Information:**
After its world premiere, "Shizue: An American Story" will embark on a two-month, multi-city tour, bringing this poignant story to various schools and community venues.

**Accessibility Features:**
- **Captions:** Live English captions projected above the stage for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- **Audio Description:** Live audio description of the action and dialogue onstage for patrons who are blind or have low vision, available during the Saturday matinee performance.
- **ASL Interpretation:** Both performances will include ASL interpretation.

**Community and Support:**
Portland Opera to Go is generously supported by various foundations and individual patrons, ensuring the continuation of this educational and culturally enriching program. The opera company is committed to creating a safe and welcoming space for all, free from bigotry, discrimination, and harassment.

Join us in celebrating the resilience and dignity of Shizue Iwatsuki through this compelling new opera. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the Portland Opera website.

EPSG:4326

Shizue: An American Story

The year is 1912, and young Beatrice Morrow is a multi-talented scholar and opera singer, who has always longed to perform. Then she meets and falls in love with Edward Cannady, a community leader and young man who urges Beatrice to take on a new role with The Advocate—the first African American newspaper in Oregon. Beatrice shares her expertise and her voice as a civil rights leader, community organizer, and editor—as she builds bridges and blazes trails in our Portland, Oregon history. 

Commissioned for our Portland Opera to Go Program (POGO), Beatrice is a 50-minute youth opera inspired by the life and story of Beatrice Morrow Cannady, a prominent leader in Oregon’s cultural community and civil rights movement of the early 1900s. The piece has been written for middle school audiences, focused on fourth through ninth grades. This September, POGO will present performances of Beatrice in venues around the region, including two public performances at the Hampton Opera Center.

Wanda Walden

Costume Designer

Events

Past events

4 - 5 Oct, 2024

Shizue: An American Story · Portland Opera

17 - 18 Sep, 2022

Portland Opera to Go: Beatrice · Portland Opera

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