top of page
AportiaChryptych.jpg
title_edited_edited.png
logos.png
Portia Colourized_edited.jpg

What is the story?

 

This theatrical operatic opus follows the journey of Nova Scotian Contralto, Portia White, "the daughter of destiny", most commonly noted as the first Black Canadian concert singer to achieve international fame.

 

Through a diverse collage of song, spoken word, design, and video, this opera explores the displacement and distortion of being "first" and then relegated to obscurity. 

 

The opera depicts Portia’s journey through death, fractured into three forms within herself: Portia Body, Portia Spirit and Portia Soul. As Portia relives moments in her life, she navigates the secrets of her past, both cryptic and coded.

 The opera explores the theme of assimilation and questions the trope of what it means to be "the first" black trailblazer in a society that centralizes whiteness as the pinnacle of success. Despite racial and gender barriers, Portia White's life was about overcoming obstacles. Ultimately, the opera celebrates her triumphs.

23-24-07-MC-D-2640-2639-PANO.jpg
"A rare world premiere from the Canadian Opera Company has marked a new entry in the country's essential operatic canon"
globe.png

Together our core team possesses a unique alchemy of shared but distinct skills. we are mixed, Black, Canadian, American, Caribbean, African artists of the Diaspora. Each bring a trinity of lived experience in women’s, men’s and queer bodies; and it is this intersection that gives our perspective range and complement.

WORLD PREMIERE JUNE 2024

"The show uses song, spoken word, design, and video in a collage of inspiration and influence. However, it is the music that connects, contains, and holds its diversity as one. This work reimagines the score as musical scripture in a story of experience and appropriation, reclamation, and proclamation, drawing from the past to make it fresh and new.

 

Through a bold aesthetic synthesized of many art forms, we unpack the siloed nature of popularized music and "european" operatic forms to bridge unity between artistic and musical communities. Through spoken word, rap, existing repertoire, folk songs, and rhythm & blues, we seek to expound the boundaries of what Black Opera can be, reexamining innovative ways to decentralize opera from its colonized roots.

 

This will be the first time a Black director, librettist, composer, and team graces the stage of the Canadian Opera Company. However, Portia was no stranger to the idea of being the first. We recognize how we walk the trail that Portia carved for us.

 

We are incredibly excited to be premiering this show in 2024, 80 years after Portia shared her gifts with the world at new york's town hall. Being given one of the largest platforms in Opera, this is our chance to give back to Portia what she could not have in her lifetime: a show that centralizes her story in an artform that often relegates blackness to the peripheries. However; this time, we are here to ensure she is never forgotten."

ETM2024-AB7I7708-COC-APORTIA.JPG
COC.png
Portia-2.jpg
donate.png
Portia White B and W from Detroit Kathy LVORG Nice youngest_edited.jpg
NAC Fund.png
Portia Aged 24_edited.jpg
press.png
Unknown.jpeg
subscribe.png
The Roxy (Old Brown)_edited.jpg
support.png

we acknowledge the current support of

coc.png
CCA_RGB_white_f.png
ncf.png

to date this piece has been supported through the support of

2014-OAC-White-Logo-PNG.png
AOC.png

and through the theatre creators reserve fund recommenders

obsidian.png
72WhiteRed.png
tg-logo-white.png
SIP-logo-FINAL-Black-1030x928.png
blyth.png
TARRAGON .png
Cahoots-Theatre-Company.png

supported by the national ballet's of canada's open space residency program and the caravan farm theatre national playwrights retreat

ballet white kk.png
Caravan copy.png

additional support from

Confederation Centre Logo.png
Eastern Front Theatre.png
Shaw Festival.png
BCC.png
Chryptych Collective
bottom of page