Wynston Lyles as Kane
Photography by Wayne Reich
Loosely adapted from Lord Byron's 1821 play Cain, this opera is a retelling of the famous biblical story of Cain and Abel set not in biblical times, but in late 20th century Appalachia.
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In Byron's play, the most important change to the commonly known biblical story is the addition of Lucifer as a kind of "mentor" for Cain. This Lucifer is similar to the famous depiction in Milton's Paradise Lost. Byron spends a lot of the play exploring the themes of death and the unknown, but to me the thing that stands out is the theme of rebellion, as punctuated by the addition of Lucifer. So that's what I'm going to focus the most on.
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This opera is being written at a time when Christianity as an authority is at the center of a lot of debate and discussion in America. So, to me, the deeply faithful and isolated region of Appalachia was a perfect setting to explore these themes of rebellion.
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It is important to note, however, that Kane is not the hero. This is not an opera about how God needs to be overthrown. This is an opera about the consequences of hate in the guise of love.
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CAST
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Kane McMahan - Bass
Abe McMahan - Tenor
Adam McMahan - Baritone
Eve McMahan - Alto
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Luce, the Stranger - Soprano
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Yavel -Baritone
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Chorus - Townspeople, Fallen Angels