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Room for improvement
By Michael Hirtzer Staff Writer Columbia College’s Playwright-in-Residence Paul Carter Harrison’s new libretto is an inspired, but somewhat half-baked opera performance. The “Doxology Opera: The Doxy Canticles,” which premiered over the weekend at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) and was presented by the Center for Black Music Research, is the story of one woman’s journey through the “universe known as chaos” and into the church’s sisterhood. The opera’s program states that the central-figure, Doxy, is a “Foxy Lady of the Boulevard” who is in search of a good man amidst the criminals and drug addicts that seem to fill the city. Mother Song, played by the mezzo-soprano Bonita Hyman, seeks Doxy’s vitality, which is necessary to assure the survival of the Daughters of Silence. These two soloists engage in a debate of sorts, Doxy the jaded, yet hopeful woman versus Mother Song?s stern spiritual guidance. Doxy eventually succumbs to the invocation and enters the church. The libretto is accompanied by a fine orchestration by composer Wendell Logan. He combines traditional symphony music with elements of gospel and jazz. Trumpet player David Young and bass clarinetist Byron Bowie illustrate mid-20th Century jazz, which helps give the piece the air of the south— “The Doxy Canticles” is based on historic events in Georgia, according to an MCA news bulletin. The distinct flavor of southern African-American life is elaborated even further with soprano Elizabeth Norman?s (Doxy) spoken poetry which she interchanges with her singing. The speech is, at times, comedic—in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. When one of the sisters recounts her path to the convent, she explains to Doxy how her “soul” was stolen in the back of a Chevy Blazer. I didn’t know whether to laugh or feel sorry for her. This concept is taken further when Doxy tells the priest about a pain in her breast, and the priest questions her in song “is it in the left breast or the right?” The humor wasn’t the only thing that perplexed me. Since this was only a concert staging—no costumes, sets, or acting—I often lost track of who was who. For one, the chorus personified the Daughters of Silence, Daughters of Torment and the Sisters of Torment. One member of the chorus, Clarice Hearne, also portrayed Serpentina Turner, who gave a “Las Vegas performance”—even though there was nothing Las Vegas about it?and Sister Grace. It didn’t end there. A white,male priest was personified by Ina Allen, a black woman, while Archbishop Thomas was personified by Mother Song, whose “layers of colorful cloth” signified the Seven Deadly Sins. What it all comes down to is that there was too much personification going on. With no costumes or acting to aid the libretto, I was often lost. “The Doxy Canticles” has a lot of room for improvement. At nearly three hours, this “one act” performance (there were two intermissions) was too long and strenuous to stay captivating. Repetition was continuously used, and it started to get redundant. However, with editing, stage and costume design, it could turn into a truly unique production, which could even spawn a new sub-genre of American theater. Back to top | Home The Columbia Chronicle is a student produced publication of Columbia College Chicago and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of Columbia College administrators, faculty or students. |
February 26, 2001
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