This weekend, students at the Lamont School of Music delivered a chilling and heartbreaking rendition of contemporary operatic tragedy, “Susannah.”

The opera, which ran from Thursday until Sunday in the Gates Concert Hall at the Newman Center for Performing Arts, marked a break from older and more traditional operas for the program as well as for Lamont Opera Director, Kenneth Cox.

“Susannah,” a 1955 opera by American composer Carlisle Floyd, is the tragic story of young 18-year-old Susannah who is ostracized by her evangelical religious community. Well meaning and beautiful, Susannah brings envy and lust into the hearts of her elder community members, and in an effort to control their own sinful urges, they label her a harlot.

In a series of events that lead to Susannah’s eventual downfall, the opera explores her tragic fall from grace as she proceeds to take on the very sinful characteristics society has forcefully projected upon her.

Written during the 1950s era of McCarthyism, the opera acts as a critique of organized religion and unsubstantiated accusation and has modern feminist themes.

Sarah Cambidge, a second year masters in opera from Vancouver, Canada, played Susannah on Thursday and Saturday. She gave a versatile and commanding performance with her depiction ranging from that of a vulnerable buoyant girl to a woman disillusioned by the wrongdoings of society. Her powerful and agile soprano voice carried her through the range of songs with ease and passion.

Susannah’s brother and caretaker, Sam, is notorious in the community for being a drunk. Senior performance major from Gilbert, Arizona, Senhica Klee, gave a remarkable performance of this very complex character, who despite his sinful reputation, gives a vocal sermon that exemplifies the most moral and genuine religious sentiment throughout the entire opera.

Klee discussed his character, addressing Sam’s complexity.

“I think the main point is that no one is impervious to sin. I would assume that not many people get the idea that the reverend is an evildoer,” said Klee. “[Reverend Blitch] is the person that you expect to be without sin, and the person you most expect, Sam, shows extreme wisdom. It really flip-flops assumptions.”

He also addressed the experience of participating in a more contemporary opera like “Susannah.”

“I think one of the greatest things about it being more contemporary is that it’s really easy to follow for the audience. It’s more of a relatable thing when it’s more contemporary,” said Klee. “The excitement builds, taking twist after twist, and turn after turn. It was a fantastic show to be a part of.”

Overall the cast was extremely well selected, and demonstrated aptitude in both acting and operatic singing. The music is strongly based in folk and hymnal tradition, and represents an interesting fusion of high operatic technique and rural and unrefined vernacular.

“‘Susannah’ is a gripping drama with an attractive musical score, including elements from hymns, folk-tunes and even some fiddle music,” said Lamont Opera director Kenneth Cox. “The composer, Carlisle Flloyd, uses themes throughout the opera in various meters and combinations. The end result is remarkable.”

Cox also addressed why he chose this particular opera, as well as how it augmented the learning experience for students in the opera program.

“‘Susannah’ presents challenges and theatrical opportunities in a contemporary setting.  Combined with the more standard works of the operatic world, as well as great musicals, such as ‘Oklahoma,’ which will be our fall production, this American opera helps to balance the experience of the Lamont voice majors,” he said.

Students practiced for three hours three days out of the week, and the final product evidenced their dedication.
Costuming was rustic, and set design was inventive but fittingly simple and did not distract from the characters onstage. The set was a changing depiction of outdoor rural Tennessee, and mood variations were portrayed through the changing color of the sky.

The finale and culmination of wrongdoings was shown with a blood -red sky, as Sam killed the not-so-honorable Reverend Blitch. The townspeople swarm Susannah’s cottage and she drives them away with a rifle, cackling maniacally all the while. The final image is of a hardened and hysterically laughing Susannah.

Unsettling and stark, the ending did not provide the audience with the vision of redemption they so desired, although several audience members erupted into a standing ovation.

“Susannah” marks a refreshing departure from tradition for the Lamont Opera Program as well as a successful and distressing exploration of the dark and provocative themes of sexuality, fanaticism and femininity within the opera.