Staged Productions
A House in Bali is a dynamic new opera by Evan Ziporyn with libretto by Paul Schick and directed by Jay Scheib. Based on the renowned memoir by Colin McPhee, A House in Bali traces the roots of the west's century-long infatuation with Bali, through the true story of three westerners - composer Colin McPhee, anthropologist Margaret Mead, and artist Walter Spies - during their 1930s sojourn in Bali.
This visually stunning, multi-media spectacle brings together the finest ensembles of east and west: the 16-piece Balinese gamelan Salukat, directed by the dynamic Dewa Ketut Alit; New York's electric chamber ensemble Bang on a Can All-Stars; Balinese choreography by the enchanting Kadek Dewi Aryani; and a selection of some of the finest western operatic and Balinese voices working today. Staged by Jay Scheib with set design by Sara Brown, the centuries-old Balinese art forms blend seamlessly with live projection, pushing the boundaries of theatrical innovation.
A House in Bali premiered at Puri Saraswati in Ubud, Bali, June 26-27, 2009 and at Cal Performances in Berkeley, California, September 26-27, 2009.
- Music by Evan Ziporyn
- Directed by Jay Scheib
- Choreography by Kadek Dewi Aryani & I Nyoman Catra
- Libretto by Paul Schick, after Colin McPhee's "A House in Bali" and texts by Margaret Mead and Walter Spies
- Additional dialogue and lyrics by Evan Ziporyn