The Raven

Jesse Preis debuts The Raven, a chamber opera composed for three voices and chamber ensemble from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem of the same name, with direction by Melory Mirashrafi. In this opera, the narrator (split into two characters to capture the perspective of the Past and the Current at two different stages in life) deals with the loss of a loved one. These complicated, painful, and even terrifying emotions become personified through the character of the Raven. This work is composed with no specific voice types tied to the characters - anyone able to sing the part can and should sing them. This is a groundbreaking composing technique that unties the binds of gendered characters and allows vocalists to portray a character of any gender that is authentic to them and suits their voice. Preis seeks to expand our understanding of vocal writing to go beyond the gendered conventions of soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and bass-baritone, and posits a world where characters are simply written and performed by a wide variety of voices. 

Please note, this show is double cast, here is the breakdown:

Lenore Cast
Past Narrator - Abigail Krawson
Current Narrator - Claire Robertson-Preis
The Raven - Madeline Ross

Poe Cast
Past Narrator - Brandon Michael
Current Narrator - Dicky Dutton
The Raven - Jasmine Johnson

Friday October 2 @ 7:30pm Lenore Cast
Saturday October 3 @ 4:00pm Poe Cast  AND @ 7:30pm Lenore Cast
Sunday October 4 @ 4:00pm Poe Cast

Friday October 9 @ 7:30pm Poe Cast
Saturday October 10 @ 4:00pm Lenore Cast AND @ 7:30pm Poe Cast
Sunday October 11 @ 4:00pm Lenore Cast

Renegade Opera is committed to accessibility which is why we offer a sliding scale ticket option. Please select the ticket price that works best for you, or send us an email if you'd like to attend but can cannot afford a ticket or qualify for Arts for All tickets. renegadeoperapdx@gmail.com