Juana

Juana
The Sor Juana Project

June 19th , 2:00pm
SomArts Theater
Tickets: $5-$15 Sliding Scale

Carla Lucero

Carla Lucero’s Sor Juana Project presents a staged reading of new excerpts from the libretto of Juana, the opera in development by Ms. Lucero. Based on the life of Mexico’s (in)famous poet, proto-feminist and philosopher, 17th Century lesbian nun Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Juana uses Alicia Gaspar de Alba’s novel, Sor Juana’s Second Dream as the basis for a lyrical and tragic opera on the destruction of a (lesbian) genius at the hands of the Spanish inquisition. The opera includes Sor Juana’s original romantic love poetry written to another woman. The Opera is directed by Tracy War.

Alicia Gaspar de Alba

Carla Lucero, Composer/Co-Librettist, Sor Juana Project
Carla studied at the California Institute for the Arts, shaping her ability to communicate subconscious feelings to others though musical subtexts. Many of her pieces address women’s issues and attract feminist audiences. In 2001, Lucero premiered her opera Wournos at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; based on a true story that the Academy award winning film “Monster.” In 2002, Lucero began composing and writing her second full-length opera, along with co-librettist Alicia Gaspar de Alba. This is the third installment of excerpts from Juana.

Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Co-Librettist, Sor Juana Project (an Opera in Progress)
Alicia provides the original text from her novel Sor Juana’s Second Dream, which is adapted for Juana. She is a Latina lesbian professor at UCLA who is also a creative writer. She will introduce the staged reading with historical context, and be available, along with Ms. Lucero, during a question and answer period following the staged reading.

Tracy Ward, Director, specializes in new works for the stage.  Ms. Ward has directed more than 20 world premieres, most recently directing Colorado off-broadway in the First Annual Summer Plays Festival in New York. Other works include:  Ariadne by Ken Prestininzi and Clark Suprynnowicz, a new opera  at City Summer Opera, Summerland by Brian Thorstenson at Z Space Festival of New York, Horse Lattitudes by Nicola Harwood at Jon Sims Center for the Performing Arts, Multiplex by Peter Nachtrieb at Thick House in San Francisco.  She has worked in play development with The Magic Theater, ASK Theater Projects, Playground, Iron Workers Local 83, and in the MFA programs at San Francisco State University and St. Mary’s College.