Ryūnosuke Akutagawa may not be a household name. But if you know the classic film Rashomon by legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, you know at least one of Akutagawa’s stories. It’s a story about shifting perspectives on a single criminal act. It’s also a story that can be told by more than one or two storytellers. Enter composer Christopher Cerrone and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann. They were inspired by this same story to create a new opera, In a Grove, that has its world premiere this weekend at Pittsburgh Opera. The production is directed by Mary Birnbaum.
Cerrone was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his opera, Invisible Cities, which was performed in Los Angeles by The Industry and directed by Yuval Sharon. He’s composed works that have been performed by the opera singer Sasha Cooke, violinist Jennifer Koh, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Wild Up and more.
Fleischmann has written libretti for The Long Walk, After the Storm and The Property. She has multiple new projects in the works including collaborations with Julia Adolphe, Anna Clyne and Dawn Upshaw. She’s also a playwright and dramaturg whose work has been seen in venues around the world. Adapting Akutagawa’s short story (also titled In a Grove) is the first collaboration between the two.