Mermaid in the Jar

CAST: coloratura soprano, mezzo-soprano, bass-baritone, and three additional treble voices DURATION: 20 minutes WORLD PREMIERE: Oberlin Conservatory, 2020. Mermaid in the Jar is the first short chamber opera in the Wild Beast of the Bungalow triptych. The libretto is by Royce Vavrek, adapted from and further inspired by the short story of the same name by Sheila Heti. The opera takes place entirely within an eleven-year-old Girl's bedroom as she overhears her parents' volatile conversations. Over the course of a few days, a mermaid, a family of stuffed prairie dogs, and singing groups of chickenpox and shingles force her to confront what it means to care for others and be cared for herself. For coloratura soprano, mezzo-soprano, bass-baritone, and three additional treble voices. If this portion of the opera is performed without the Prologue, no bass-baritone is required. All performances of this work require separate permission and licensing. To obtain performance rights, please visit www.racheljpeters.com