Elliot Menard’s UMBRA
CONTENT WARNING: SUICIDE
A few weeks ago, LA Times classical music critic Mark Swed wrote about the surfeit of successful smaller scale opera productions that swept Los Angeles in February, including programs by The Industry, the LA Opera, and Long Beach Opera. I’m willing to bet, had he attended, that he would include last weekend’s production of Elliot Menard’s UMBRA at the Highways Performance Space amongst living proof that “intimacy replaces grandeur. Smaller budgets allow for bigger ideas. There is room for experimentation, immediacy and risk. Such opera can be done pretty much anywhere, indoors or outdoors, and pretty much anything goes.”
Elliot Menard’s UMBRA is an adaptation the Orpheus myth; as much is made clear in the first act where, immediately following an overture, the as-yet-unnamed Elliot sheds headdress and garb to reveal a plain black outfit, where she reveals (in the only English for the duration of the work) that, though everyone knows the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, what happens afterwards is not often considered. It is also revealed here that the myth allegorizes the story of Elliot’s childhood friend, who passed away at the age of 20 from suicide.
From here, the singers and ensemble (flute, cello, occasional electronics and pianist doubling as conductor) launch into an hour of nearly continuous music, which precipitates one of my only complaints about the production; it is difficult to understand the nature of each of the five or so sequential opera chorus movements when they’re presented one after another. It’s a well-known feature of the opera form that a moment in time can be suspended as long as is musically necessary, after which a resumption of plot could be expected; as UMBRA continued and continued and continued, the programmatic connection to the Orpheus myth became less clear, whether with intent or otherwise. I do partially chalk it up to my own lack of familiarity with the L’Orfei of antiquity, but I figure the lack of supertitles or translated text in the program notes would make it difficult for most patrons to follow. As the piece develops in subsequent productions, I could see it pull towards either direction; give us a chance to understand what each song / scene represents in the Orpheus myth, or swing even more opaque and do away with the introduction entirely. There’s nothing wrong with adapting the story with ambiguity, but to preface the show with “this is the Orpheus myth and it’s also about my friend” may ask the viewer to clue into aspects of a plotline that isn’t represented in an obvious manner.
As promised, that was my primary complaint with UMBRA; the music is well composed and tightly performed (with a staggering portion of it memorized by Menard herself), and the spare materials are smartly utilized. Microphones stands emerge from the curtain as props before they’re plugged in to amplify the chorus – the flautist at one point dances around the stage (while still playing) before retreating to the corner – a ceremonial cloak, once disrobed, is used as a rug for the next scene – both flute and cellist adopt percussive roles to replace a percussionist proper. As far as low-budget opera productions go, it’s hard to imagine it getting much better than this. With a small team and tight quarters, Menard and team manage to pull off an admirable feat – a tightly produced and beautifully performed work.
Umbra is developed in collaboration with and directed by Héctor Alvarez. This staged workshop production also features the work of music director Daniel Newman-Lessler, associate director and producer Rory James Leech, costume designer Ashley Snyder, assistant costume designer Nishtha Tyagi, lighting designer Claire Chrzan, and performers Nelle Anderson, Isabel Springer, Carmen Edano, Shannon Delijani, Karolina Kwasniak, Livia Reiner, Emma-rose Bauman, and Marly Gonzalez.
https://www.highwaysperformance.org/events/umbra-2025-03-22-20-00