Why Is This Important?
Each culture and community has its own stories.
Through telling these stories, we build bridges between communities
based on the understanding we share. In performing these two chamber operas on
Indian themes, Festival Opera hopes to bring the unique cultural
experience of the Indian community to those outside it, connecting the
wide variety of cultures and communities in the Bay Area via opera.
The double bill: Gustav Holst's
Savitri and Jack Perla and Chitra Divakaruni's
River of Light,
provides two different insights into Indian culture, the former being based on the episode of Savitri and Satyavan from the
Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic of ancient India and the latter being a contemporary
look into what it means to be an assimilated American yet still desire
to maintain ties with your cultural and family heritage. The vision for presenting these works highlights how opera as a genre can not only link cultures, but also tell stories that are timeless and relevant.
Who We Are
Now in our third decade, Festival Opera remains committed to bringing
professional opera productions at affordable prices to residents of San
Francisco's East Bay communities. The third-largest opera company in the
Bay Area, Festival Opera is a showcase for talented young artists and
directors.
Where Is The Money Going?
The money earned from this campaign will be used to pay the cast, musicians, and artistic team for their contributions. This includes the singers, traditional Indian dancers, and orchestra members who dedicate a majority of their time to learning and performing the music as well as the director and designers for translating what is on paper to the stage. Grants, ticket revenue and individual donations to date reveal a shortfall that we hope to fill with this campaign. If you believe in the importance of telling unique, culturally-relevant stories, won't you please contribute?
Perks
All donations made are tax-deductible, and an acknowledgement letter will be sent. Donations of $100 and over qualify you as a member of Festival Opera, giving you the benefits of voting membership at Festival Opera's Annual Meeting and advance subscription order privileges. Being a member also grants you invitations to special events throughout the year.
A full list of benefits per donation level can be found at
http://festivalopera.org/benefits.php
Risks & Challenges
Due to the fact that funds raised will pay artists' fees, there are no risks involved. All funds will be applied for that purpose.
How You Can Support Us
In addition to supporting Festival Opera's Indian cultural chamber operas via this campaign, you can purchase tickets to a performance, and invite others to purchase tickets and donate to the campaign. Festival Opera is a community-based regional opera company, and would not exist without your
patronage and support. Thank you for helping us share these stories.
