Opus Number: 107
Music: David Israel (commissioned score)
Costumes: Santo Loquasto
Lighting: Jennifer Tipton
Date First Performed: March 4, 1998
Notes: The New Testament speaks of serving God with reverence and godly fear, “For our God is a consuming fire.” The students at a religious prep school have taken these words to heart. Dressed in identical uniforms that stress their lack of individuality, they conform blindly to a rigid system of beliefs. Their regimented devotion is challenged by an enigmatic, irreverent figure – a succubus – intent on wreaking havoc. The supplicants are haunted by her presence. Following a frenzy of fervor, the work ends with the pious youths marching in lockstep, trailed as ever by the demon.
“The message was powerful, the performance so intense and involving that the mesmerized audience let out a sigh of exhaustion when it was over.” – Wilma Salisbury, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Aileen Roehl, James Samson, Graviano, Eran Bugge, and Sean Mahoney, photo by Paul B. Goode