Susan Kander and Roberta Gumbel's dwb (driving while black) tackles what it means to be a parent of a Black child who starts driving. In its swift 45 minutes, the listener spends 16 years with a Black mother, feeling her growing fear as her Black son moves towards driving age.

“The deeply affecting and innovatively conceived new chamber opera dwb (driving while black) makes its powerful impact with deliberately limited forces. The piece, by composer Susan Kander and first-time librettist Roberta Gumbel, is a 45 minute monodrama for female voice. The instrumentation, consisting only of cello and percussion, is refreshingly spare and surprisingly multicolored.…” (Opera News)

David Leon

Events

Past events

8 - 21 Jul, 2023

DWB (Driving While Black) · Des Moines Metro Opera

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