Octavia E. Butler’s sci-fi dystopian opera: Your quarantine must-watch of the day
Based on the novels Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler, this genre-defying work of political theater featuring a powerhouse ensemble of 20 singers, actors, and musicians harnesses 200 years of Black music to give musical life to Butler’s acclaimed science fiction novel. Written by singer, composer, and producer Toshi Reagon in collaboration with her mother, Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon (song leader, composer, scholar, social activist, and founder of Sweet Honey In the Rock), Parable of the Sower is a mesmerizing theatrical work of rare power and beauty that reveals deep insights into gender, race, and the future of human civilization, presented in Royce Hall by UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance in March of 2020.
"The world has gone to hell in a handbasket in “Parable of the Sower.”
Set in Southern California in the 2020s, the late Octavia E. Butler’s acclaimed 1993 sci-fi fable tells of have-nots scraping by in a dystopian world of racial, gender and income inequality, not to mention food scarcity and environmental devastation. The apocalyptic vision came to the stage as a folk opera co-created by singer-songwriter Toshi Reagon and her mother, Bernice Johnson Reagon of the a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock.
The UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance hosted a production in March, the last event before the wave of coronavirus-related cancellations. But if you missed it then, a concert version of the work’s 2015 world premiere, featuring Toshi Reagon and presented by the Arts Center at New York University Abu Dhabi, will be livestreamed at 9 a.m. Wednesday followed by a live Q&A session. The watch party is free to view at facebook.com, Youtube.com and nyuad-artscenter.org
There are other ways to engage with a little culture during your coronavirus quarantine. We’ll keep sharing picks for streaming concerts, online musicals, virtual art exhibitions and more."— Matt Cooper, Apr. 22, 2020
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the Los Angeles Times website.
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