A Contemporary New Opera on Gun Violence Has Roots in Pittsburgh

DAVID BACHMAN PHOTOGRAPHY | PHOTO COURTESY OF PITTSBURGH OPERA

Crystal Manich started writing the opera “Time to Act” in 2018, shortly after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

The Mt. Lebanon native talked with young people about the tragedy, channeling a torrent of emotions into words that, when paired with composer Laura Kaminsky’s music, are meant to uplift, unify and heal.

Manich will direct the 90-minute libretto at its world premiere on Feb. 28 at the Bitz Opera Factory in the Strip District. Built in 1869, George Westinghouse’s original air brake factory now houses a nearly 200-seat theater.

Performed in English, “Time to Act” centers on a group of American high school students as they prepare for a production of Sophocles’ “Antigone.” After a routine safety drill, it’s revealed that Alona, the new girl, had a traumatic experience in another district.

Ticket holders walk through the classroom set to get to their seats. Scenic and costume designer Lindsay Fuori is from Newtown, Conn. and was a high school student when 20 children and six educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. She served as a sounding board throughout Manich’s lengthy writing process.

Timothi Williams, adjunct professor of voice and director of opera performance at Slippery Rock University, says her real-life role as a mom is helping her portray Alona on stage.

DAVID BACHMAN PHOTOGRAPHY | PHOTO COURTESY OF PITTSBURGH OPERA

The character of Tyson is played by Erik Nordstrom, who grew up in Minnesota listening to singer-songwriters such as Joni Mitchell. He later learned that opera singers, much like his folk heroes, don’t just entertain an audience, they communicate important messages.

Conductor Michael Sakir says the work addresses the sad reality of gun violence while reminding us that art can bring about hope and change in times of trouble. As artistic director of Opera Montana, which co-commissioned “Time to Act” with Pittsburgh Opera and Boston Conservatory at Berklee, he feels honored to work with two titans of the opera community.

Manich, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, is an Emmy Award nominee whose works for stage, screen and circus have been seen across the United States, Europe, Argentina and Australia. Kaminsky’s acclaimed opera “As One” has become the most-produced modern opera in America.

“Time to Act,” is Pittsburgh Opera’s fifth world premiere in the past decade, demonstrating the company’s commitment to creating innovative new works that showcase opera’s continued vibrancy as an art form.

Although Manich now lives in Puerto Rico, and her opera takes place in Anytown, USA, there are nods to Pittsburgh in “Time to Act,” including the mention of Uptown Coffee on Washington Road, where Manich spent many hours studying for her classes at nearby Mt. Lebanon High School.

She fell in love with musical theater in seventh grade after directing a scene from “Fiddler on the Roof.” At age 16, she saw “La Bohème” for the first time at the Benedum Center; a decade later, she directed a Pittsburgh Opera production of Giacomo Puccini’s famous work.

When “Time to Act” takes the stage, it will be another full-circle moment for the world-traveling librettist.

“Eight years of work is coming to fruition,” she says.

Performances of “Time to Act” will be held Feb. 28 through March 8 at Bitz Opera Factory at 2425 Liberty Ave. in the Strip District. For tickets call 412-456-6666 or visit opera.culturaldistrict.org. A preview show will air on WQED-FM 89.3 and wqed.org/fm on Feb. 21 at 12:30 p.m. and Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. Content warning: this opera contains a simulated safety drill and discussions related to the topics of school shootings, school violence and PTSD.