PITTSBURGH — "A Gathering of Sons," an original work from Pittsburgh Festival Opera, will air at 8 p.m. July 1 on WQED-TV.
"This is a milestone achievement for Pittsburgh Festival Opera, as well as for the opera itself, which deals with relevant and important social issues of racial conflict," said Brian Edward, marketing director for the Pittsburgh Festival Opera.
The public is invited to a free advance screening June 26 at the Kaufmann Center in Pittsburgh's Hill District.
The gospel-infused opera tells the story of a black family whose son is shot by a rogue white police officer, and the healing that can arise from such tragedy, helped by a collection of spirits who watch over the world and its people. This original production, commissioned by the opera as part of its Music That Matters series, was composed by Dwayne Fulton, local minister of music and fine arts, at Mtount Ararat Baptist Church, with lyrics by poet-playwright Tameka Cage Conley and directed by Mark Clayton Southers, founder of Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre. The cast includes local and national performers.
Following its stage premiere in June 2017, a local patron underwrote the efforts to produce a film recording of the final performance so that it could be preserved and shared with a larger viewership. WQED selected the production to air it for a regional audience, with plans to submit it for national PBS broadcast in the future.
The celebratory screening will be held in the Elsie H. Hillman Auditorium of the Kaufmann Center at 1825 Centre Ave. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for refreshments and conversation, followed by the screening at 7 p.m. and a question-and-answer session at 8:45 p.m. Tickets are free and can be reserved by visiting pittsburghfestivalopera.org/screening.
“This is a valuable production in which people of color will see themselves,” said Demareus Cooper, board member and co-chair of Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s Education Committee. “This opera deserves to be seen again and again. It opens up an important dialogue in a nonthreatening and embracing manner.”
Founded in 1978, Pittsburgh Festival Opera presents innovative opera focused on diversity, including American works, reinterpretations of older works and new works, for the widest possible audience.