American
Atheist
an opera-requiem in eight scenes [work in progress] Music Stefan Weisman Libretto David Cote |
|||
 Madalyn Murray O'Hair |
|
||
American Atheist recounts
the life and violent death of Madalyn Murray O’Hair
(1919–1995), at one time the world’s most famous
atheist. O’Hair won a landmark 1963 Supreme Court case
against prayer in schools, then went on to found the
group American Atheists. Twenty-two years later,
she, her son, and adopted granddaughter were abducted
from their home in Austin, Texas. They were murdered
and dismembered, their remains buried outside of San
Antonio. The opera uses elements from a Requiem Mass
to illuminate major events in O’Hair’s life. It is an
irreverent yet ecstatic exploration of faith and
freedom in modern America.
Stefan
Weisman is a composer
living in New York City. Anthony
Tommasini of The New York Times described
his music as "personal, moody and skillfully wrought."
When his song "Twinkie" was featured on the nationally
syndicated program The Wendy Williams Show,
the host said, "Very unique...You're not going to hear
opera like this anywhere else...Fabulous!" His
compositions include chamber, orchestral, theater, dance
and choral pieces, and he has specialized in vocal works
that explore edgy and compelling topics. His opera Darkling,
commissioned by American Opera Projects, was included in
the Guggenheim Museum's Works & Process series,
premiered to great acclaim at the East 13th Street
Theater and
toured Europe in 2007. It was released by Albany Records
in November 2011. His one-act opera Fade, commissioned
by the British opera company Second Movement, premiered
in London in 2008 and also had successful performances
in Philadelphia, San Francisco and Brooklyn. His evening
length opera, The Scarlet Ibis,
was premiered in the 2015 PROTOTYPE opera festival,
produced by HERE and Beth Morrison Projects. The Wall
Street Journal said
it was "subtly subversive, and it's production
groundbreaking." Among his other
commissions are works for Bang on a Can, Sequitur, and
the Empire City Men's Choir. He is a
graduate of Bard College (BA), Yale University (MA), and
Princeton University (PhD). His music is
available on New Amsterdam Records and Albany Records.
David
Cote is a playwright, librettist
and arts journalist based in New York City. Opera: Three
Way with Robert Paterson (BAM & Nashville Opera);
The Scarlet Ibis (Prototype Festival) and Fade
with Stefan Weisman; and We’ve Got Our Eye on You
with Nkeiru Okoye. David co-wrote the text for Okoye’s piece
for baritone and orchestra, Invitation to a Die-In,
dedicated to the memory of Trayvon Martin. His song cycle
with Robert Paterson, In Real Life, was performed by
soprano Marnie Breckenridge and American Modern Ensemble.
Choral works with Paterson, Did You Hear? and Snow
Day, were sung by Musica Sacra and conducted by Kent
Tritle on Eternal Reflections (American Modern Recordings).
In late 2017, AMR and Naxos will release the original cast
recording of Three Way. Plays include Otherland
(O’Neill finalist) and Fear of Art. David was the
longest serving theater editor and chief drama critic of
Time Out New York (2003-17). His reporting and reviews
have run in American Theatre, The Village Voice, Opera
News, The Guardian and The New York Times. He
has written companion books to the hit Broadway musicals Wicked,
Jersey Boys and Spring Awakening. As an actor
and director, David worked with avant-garde icon Richard
Foreman, Iranian exile Assurbanipal Babilla, and
writer-director Richard Maxwell. David lives in Manhattan
with his wife, audiobook narrator Katherine Kellgren.
Fellowships: The MacDowell Colony. Member of ASCAP and the
Dramatists Guild. B.A. Bard College. @davidcote, twitter.com/DavidCote