A Powerful War Drama

Experience Jack Perla and Jessica Murphy Moo's deeply moving modern opera An American Dream as it enjoys its Lyric Opera debut as part of its Lyric Unlimited 2018/19 series. Intertwining the stories of two women from seemingly opposite worlds and their experiences of the stateside repercussions of World War II, the intimate, stripped down chamber orchestra opera's poignant drama is punctuated by a score influenced by Copland, Messiaen, Debussy and Dutilleux.

The story is set in the wake of Pearl Harbour. President Roosevelt's executive order authorising the detention of American residents of Japanese descent has displaced over 120 000 families. One such is the Kobayashi family, who are forced out of their homes. Unable to burn her beloved doll, Setsuko Kobayashi hides it before leaving, where it is found by German-Jew Eva, bride to Jim Crowley, an American vet who has bought the Kobayashi home for a fraction of its worth. When Eva writes to Setsuko, she invites the girl to retrieve her doll when the war ends.