'Rita,' 'Pepito' hit USC stage
It's a night at the opera — with a touch of biting wit, smart humor and flooring student-led talent.
And there's a little 19th-century history peppered with a stance for women's rights, making for the best kind of on-stage performance comedy.
Opera at USC is showcasing its "Evening of One Acts" this weekend, featuring "Rita" and "Pepito." The two student-directed one-act operas shine light on USC vocalists, as well as student designers and theater crew members in their stories of empowered and oppressed women in the 19th century.
"Both of these plays were written in the mid-19th century when women didn't really have a strong say in what was going on their lives. They really took a backseat to men," said Alex Cammarota, an opera theatre directing graduate student and director of both one acts.
The first of the two operas, "Rita," follows the love triangle of an abusive wife, Rita, and her estranged first husband Gasaparo — who was believed to be dead — and current, abused husband Beppe. Both Rita and Gasaparo believe the other is dead, hoping to move on from a broken, loveless marriage.
After the fight for an eternal union with Rita, which really amounts to a twisted, obligatory game of "rock, paper, scissors," Gasaparo tricks Beppe into staying with his battered wife-turned-abuser.
"Rita," also known as "The Beaten Husband," was written in 1841 by Gaetano Donizetti and will be sung in Italian with English supertitles.
And "Pepito" adds another language to the mix: French.
"Pepito" by Jacques Offenbach follows Manuelita, her fiance Pepito and her star-crossed childhood love Miguel. It broaches a 19th-century date rape, adding to the back-and-forth of both shows take on the strong, outspoken woman.
"Both are comedies, and so really what I went for is girl power," Cammarota said. "The women are really the strongest characters of both of these operas, and they really win out in the end."
Opera at USC holds the one-act operas every year, showcasing these rooted, vocal performances in a very student-centered way.
"They're really a chance to allow the directing students to shine and have experience before they go out in the real world," Cammarota said.
Cammarota has been able to direct both of the operas this year, adding an overarching grassroots feel to the whole production.
"My director has been essentially hands-off," Cammarota said. "She's been there to guide me and polish the finished product, but she's really let me take the reins."
The four cast members in "Rita," as well as the three leads — one vocalist is double cast — in "Pepito" are also students. And Jaci Michaelson, a third-year athletic training student, is designing the costumes for the weekend production.
It's an oxymoron, to the untrained classical music critic, in its delivery: a comedic opera. It's every part of up-and-coming vocal talent infused into two classic one-acts that lend themselves to historically old humor.
"They're slapstick," Cammarota said. "You rarely find these kind of slapstick operas."
And another perk to the two weekend shows? They're free.
But seating is limited, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early.
The two performances will be on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. in the USC School of Music Recital Hall, located at 813 Assembly St.