Scenic Design

ISOLA

An Opera by composer Alyssa Weinberg and poet J. Mae Barizo

Directed by George R. Miller

Compound, Long Beach Opera, 2024

Choreographer Julia Eichten

Soprano Ariadne Grief

Musical Director Lucy Yates

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ISOLA explores the body as island, a poetic monodrama addressing selfhood and perception in non-linear time. A prismatic meditation, Isola combines color and sound to create a transformative journey of healing. This enchanting piece, created by composer Alyssa Weinberg and poet J. Mae Barizo, takes its name from the word Isola, which can mean isolation, an island, or even the Pacific Ocean archipelago, where Barizo's parents immigrated from just before her birth. Handwritten by Barizo amidst the Appalachian landscapes in 2020, the text weaves a tapestry of distorted perceptions, both inner and outer, all seen through the prism of isolation. Directed by George R. Miller, the world premiere production of ISOLA is set to be a multi-sensory marvel. Featuri ng singers, chamber musicians, a dancer body double, and surround-sound electronics, this immersive experience will dive deep into the central character's psyche and subconscious. The stage will be set at Compound, a dynamic gallery space in Long Beach, enveloping the audience in a dreamy, surreal atmosphere

 

Isola was wonderfully directed by George R. Miller, the superb music by Alyssa Weinberg created the perfect atmosphere, and set designer Prairie T. Trivuth constructed a condensed and mysterious environment for Soprano Ariadne Greif and choreographer/dancer Julia Eichten to weave their creation of isolation, anger and longing so genuinely expressed in the Libretto and Poetry by J. Mae Barizo.  — LA Dance Chronicle

 

Directed by George R. Miller, “Isola” opens with what appears to be a glass coffin (due to the naked female figure laying within it) topped with tufted grass in the center of black gravel holding a shallow pond (production design by Prairie T. Trivuth). Clumps of greenery along the edges of the water give the pond a swamp-like feel—a fecund place where life emerges from and sinks into the mud.  — LA Theatrix

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While ISOLA is concerned with abstract concepts and has no traditional linear story, the production, as superbly directed by George R. Miller and designed by Prairie T. Trivuth, lent immediacy and legibility to the  existential drama.  — Classical Voice SF

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Scenic Design by Prairie T. Trivuth

Costume Design by Julio Cesar Delgardo with Issey Miyake

Lighting Design by Jasmine Lesane

Sound Design by Greg Curtis

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Set Fabricator / Art Director Caleb Kephart, Technical Director Edgar Bustillo, SM Jenna Jacobson, Production Manager Eric Bridges, Production Coordinator Ashely, Deck crew Max Mineer, Christian, Jacob, Master Electrician McLeod

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Photographs:  Jordan Geiger