Portland Opera to Go's Shizue: An American Story
All performances of Shizue: An American Story are SOLD OUT. Thank you!
Overview
Portland Opera is proud to present the next installment of the Our Oregon Project, Shizue: An American Story. This opera illuminates the remarkable life of Shizue Iwatsuki. Born to a wealthy Japanese family and trained in the arts of poetry and ikebana, she marries Kamegoro and emigrates to his orchard in Hood River. Like thousands of other Japanese Americans, she experiences both hope and horror in her new home—from the luscious taste of fresh strawberries to the injustice of America’s incarceration camps. Through it all, Shizue rises above and reaches beyond, embodying the concept of gaman, which means “enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity.”
Portland Opera’s Our Oregon Project commissions youth operas that highlight the experiences of Oregonians through a variety of lenses. This unique multi-year project began in 2022 with Beatrice, a 50-minute youth opera inspired by the life and story of civil rights activist Beatrice Morrow Cannady. The series will continue with operas about Latinx and Native Oregonian heroes. After this world premiere, Shizue: An American Story will embark on a multi-city tour.
Cast & crew
Dmae Lo Roberts
Chihiro Asano
Lindsey Nakatani
Jietong Fu
Edward Tavalin
Gyan Singh Maria
Casey Johnson
John Kashiwabara
Wanda Walden
Michelle Fujii
Toru Watanabe
Enchance your Experience.
About the Composer and the Librettist
Learn more about Composer Kenji Oh and Librettist Dmae Lo Roberts, the duo behind our world premiere.
Portland Opera to Go
Discover more about our educational program Portland Opera to Go and the fall tour in 2024.
Production Information
For more than 20 years, Portland Opera has shared opera with audiences throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington. In a typical year, POGO company members travel over 5,000 miles, to connect with approximately 13,000 K-12 students. To date, Portland Opera to Go has shared opera with more than 285,000 students and community audience members.
Shizue: An American Story is sung in English and will be presented in full costume, with a portable set designed to tour schools and community venues.
Tickets are Pay what you Wish, with a suggested price of $35 and a minimum price of $5.
Dates, programming, artists, and details are subject to change.
Accessibility
Captions: For patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing, each performance includes live English captions projected above the stage.
If you require wheelchair accessible and/or companion seating, or have any other hearing or vision needs, please call us to purchase tickets so that we can ensure your visit to the theatre is an excellent one.
When We Gather
When We Gather
Our commitment to cultural equity continues to inform our audience policies and experiences. When we gather, it must be with respect and with care for the entire community.
Let us be clear: there is no place for bigotry, discrimination, hate, harassment, or intolerance at Portland Opera.
Behaviors that are disrespectful, discriminatory, or not aligned with our policies for attendance (including health and safety and firearm policies) will not be tolerated, and audience members may be asked to leave the premises and/or be prohibited from returning in the future.
Thank you for joining us in creating a safe and welcoming Portland Opera space for everyone.
Community sponsors
We gratefully acknowledge the following individuals and funding organizations who have supported Portland Opera's Portland Opera to Go program, sharing inclusive arts experiences with students, educators, and community members around the region:
BNSF Railway Foundation, Ronald W. Naito MD Foundation, PGE Foundation, Roundhouse Foundation, Sue and Drew Snyder, Alice Spitzer, The Standard, John and Carol Steele, and Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust.
Portland Opera Association, Inc. receives support from the Oregon Arts Commission, a state agency funded by the State of Oregon and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Many thanks to our wine sponsor AniChe Cellars.