Blog

Long before Elmer Gantry pitched his tent, America was already in the business of saving souls — loudly, publicly, and with considerable showmanship.

Kostis Protopapas

Conductor & Artistic Director

“When you have satire, it has to be real. No matter how outrageous the comedy becomes, you have to believe in the characters,” says actor Kevin Kline. Sinclair Lewis, the first American to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature (1930), knew this well. According to the Nobel committee, he dissected American life with“his vigorous and graphic art of description,” and with “his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of characters,” riveted and divided the public. Published in 1927, his novel Elmer Gantry had the largest first printing in American history, sold 100,000 copies on the day of its publication, and was soon banned in Kansas City, Boston and Camden, New Jersey.

Tara Faircloth

Stage Director

When preparing to direct a new opera, my first order of business is always to find a recording and start listening. Of course, the words and context of a piece are extremely important, but ultimately the score provides the most immediate and visceral information.