Production based on famous English ghost story from the 1800s
APRIL 19, 2024 BY ERIN GARRETT
The University of Mississippi Opera Theatre’s annual spring production aims to transport audiences to a ghostly world of psychological suspense.
The opera will give two performances of “The Turn of the Screw,” written by English composer Benjamin Britten, at 7:30 p.m. April 26 and 3 p.m. April 28 in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.
The work is an adaptation of the classic 1898 Henry James novella of the same name, which is regarded as one of the greatest ghost stories in English literature.
“It’s a really cool ghost story,” said Bonita Bunt, director of opera theatre. “The story follows an unnamed governess who goes to a house in the countryside to take care of two children, and she becomes haunted by the former governess.
“One of the big mysteries of the opera is whether what she’s experiencing is real or all in her head. The audience gets to decide.”
The production has a modern score that features a “driving rhythm throughout that tells the inner thoughts of the characters,” Bunt said.
“The students are really enjoying that aspect of it,” she said “We’ve been talking a lot about the theme of the opera that Britten uses. This musical theme is repeated over and over again in many different ways, so you hear all of these variations in between scenes of that same melody.”
The music, played by the LOU Symphony Orchestra, is sophisticated and challenging, Bunt said.
“There are complexities in the rhythm, and the vocal range is quite wide,” she said. “It would be difficult for anyone to learn, much less students – and they have risen to the challenge.”
Antoin Marshall, who is pursuing a master’s degree in vocal performance, plays a ghost.
“I am quite the evil villain, a ghost haunting one of the children of the manor – Miles,” said Marshall, who hails from Montego Bay, Jamaica. “In the opera, I forbid him to share any secrets of ours and coax him into stealing the letter that may separate our otherworldly bond.”
Macey Trussell, an accomplished guest artist, will play the role of the governess, Bunt said.
“She most recently performed the role with Painted Sky Opera last September,” she said. “We are thrilled to give our students the experience to work alongside an industry professional.”
Marshall encourages the community to attend the shows, emphasizing how important it is for students to support the arts.
“Quite often, the arts are overlooked, but this is the only faculty that makes you feel without actually touching you,” he said. “Productions like this are excellent for the mind and for the soul.
“You have the opportunity to leave your day at the door and fall into a world that we create.”
Tickets are $5 for UM students and employees and $10 for the public. They are available at the Ole Miss Box Office.