Washington National Opera

Written in Stone

Eisenhower Theater

Today’s most exciting artists offer four unmissable world premieres! Creative teams Jason Moran and Alicia Hall Moran, Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang, Kamala Sankaram and A.M. Homes, and Carlos Simon and Marc Bamuthi Joseph present intimate and interwoven works.

Mar. 5 - 25, 2022

  • Genre

    Music

  • Price Range

    $35.00 – $199.00

  • Runtime

    Approx. 2 and a half hours

  • World Premiere

    In English with Projected English Titles

  • Presenting Sponsor

    General Dynamics

  • Performance Sponsor

    Mellon Foundation

  • View Digital Program 

Cast

† Alumnus of the Cafritz Young Artist Program
^ Currently in the Cafritz Young Artist Program
*WNO Mainstage Debut

  • Officer Victoria Wilson & Laurel

    J’Nai Bridges

    /artists/b/bo-bz/jnai-bridges/

    J’Nai Bridges

  • Chantal

    Alicia Hall Moran*

    /artists/m/mo-mz/aliciahall-moran/

    Alicia Hall Moran

  • Robert McNamara

    Rod Gilfry

    /artists/g/ga-gn/rod-gilfry/

    Rod Gilfry

  • Maya Lin

    Karen Vuong*

    /artists/v/vo-vz/karen-vuong/

  • Phuong Tran

    Nina Yoshida Nelsen*

    /artists/n/na-nn/nina-nelsen/

  • BKLYN & Grady Mitchell

    Christian Mark Gibbs*

    /artists/g/ga-gn/christian-gibbs/

    Christian Mark Gibbs in a maroon blazer an unbutton light pink collared shirt.

  • Alicia Hernández

    Vanessa Becerra

    /artists/b/ba-bn/vanessa-becerra/

    Vanessa Becerra

  • A Powerful Woman/Adelaide Johnson

    Daryl Freedman†

    /artists/f/fo-fz/daryl-freedman/

    Daryl Freedman

  • Maria Hernández

    Danielle Talamantes*

    /artists/t/ta-tn/danielle-talamantes/

    Danielle Talamantes

  • The Monument

    Suzannah Waddington^

    https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/w/wa-wn/suzannah-waddington/

    Suzannah Waddington

  • MTCHLL

    Alfred Walker*

    /artists/w/wa-wn/alfred-walker/

Program

In English with Projected English Titles
World Premiere

What stories do our monuments tell? What legacies do they embody? What memories do they cement?

Four iconic places. Four creative teams. Four intimate stories. Some of America’s most exciting artists, musicians, composers, and librettists assemble to create four unmissable world premieres as a jewel in the crown of the Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary season. Inspired by Washington D.C.’s iconic monuments and the ideals embodied by President Kennedy, Written in Stone is a series of interwoven short works presented together in a single evening. Creative teams Jason Moran and Alicia Hall Moran, Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang, Kamala Sankaram and A.M. Homes, and Carlos Simon and Marc Bamuthi Joseph offer intimate stories that celebrate diversity and acknowledge the struggles of today’s America.

This evening of captivating melody and story will feature performances from opera stars J’Nai Bridges, Rod Gilfry, and more, led by renowned conductor Robert Spano in his WNO debut!

Chantal

Jason Moran, Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz, pianist, and composer
Alicia Hall Moran, renowned mezzo-soprano and multi-dimensional artist

The Morans offer a moving work to introduce the idea of “monumentalism”—the uniquely American celebration of commemorating certain people and deeds.

Cast

  • Chantal

    Alicia Hall Moran*

    /artists/m/mo-mz/aliciahall-moran/

    Alicia Hall Moran

Rise

Kamala Sankaram, acclaimed composer and instrumentalist
A.M. Homes, best-selling author and essayist

Bringing to life the often forgotten 1921 Portrait Monument featuring Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony, and one face left uncarved, Sankaram and Homes give a voice to those whose stories have been left out of history.

  • Alicia Hernández

    Vanessa Becerra

    /artists/b/ba-bn/vanessa-becerra/

    Vanessa Becerra

  • Officer Victoria Wilson

    J’Nai Bridges

    /artists/b/bo-bz/jnai-bridges/

    J’Nai Bridges

  • A Powerful Woman/Adelaide Johnson

    Daryl Freedman†

    /artists/f/fo-fz/daryl-freedman/

    Daryl Freedman

  • Maria Hernández

    Danielle Talamantes*

    /artists/t/ta-tn/danielle-talamantes/

    Danielle Talamantes

  • The Monument

    Suzannah Waddington^

    https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/w/wa-wn/suzannah-waddington/

    Suzannah Waddington

it all falls down

Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Kennedy Center Vice President and Artistic Director of Social Impact, poet, playwright, and educator
Carlos Simon, Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence and 2021 Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient

In this story of love and reconciliation, a father and son meet on opposite sides of a rally about same-sex marriage outside of the Supreme Court.

  • Laurel

    J’Nai Bridges

    /artists/b/bo-bz/jnai-bridges/

    J’Nai Bridges

  • BKLYN

    Christian Mark Gibbs*

    /artists/g/ga-gn/christian-gibbs/

    Christian Mark Gibbs in a maroon blazer an unbutton light pink collared shirt.

  • MTCHLL

    Alfred Walker*

    /artists/w/wa-wn/alfred-walker/

The Rift

Huang Ruo, award-winning composer
David Henry Hwang, Tony Award-winning playwright, librettist, and screenwriter

The controversial origin of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is at the heart of this story featuring interconnected yet conflicting characters: Maya Lin, the Chinese American student architect of the memorial’s design; a Vietnam War veteran; a Vietnamese refugee; and a government official.

  • Maya Lin

    Karen Vuong*

    /artists/v/vo-vz/karen-vuong/

  • Phuong Tran

    Nina Yoshida Nelsen*

    /artists/n/na-nn/nina-nelsen/

  • Grady Mitchell

    Christian Mark Gibbs*

    /artists/g/ga-gn/christian-gibbs/

    Christian Mark Gibbs in a maroon blazer an unbutton light pink collared shirt.

  • Robert McNamara

    Rod Gilfry

    /artists/g/ga-gn/rod-gilfry/

    Rod Gilfry

† Alumnus of the Cafritz Young Artist Program
^ Currently in the Cafritz Young Artist Program
*WNO Mainstage Debut

(Left to right) Christian Mark Gibbs (tenor) and Alfred Walker (bass-baritone) in it all falls down. Photo by Scott Suchman.

(Left to right) Daryl Freedman (mezzo-soprano), Vanessa Becerra (soprano), Danielle Talamantes (soprano), Suzzane Waddington (soprano), J'nai Bridges (mezzo-soprano) in Rise. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Alicia Hall Moran (mezzo- soprano) in Chantal. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Ensemble cast in it all falls down. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Creative Team

† Alumnus of the Cafritz Young Artist Program
*WNO Mainstage Debut

  • Conductor

    Robert Spano*

    /artists/s/so-sz/robert-spano/

  • Director

    James Robinson

    /artists/r/ro-rz/james-robinson/

  • Set Designer

    Erhard Rom

    /artists/r/ro-rz/erhard-rom/

    Erhard Rom headshot

  • Costume Designer

    Dede Ayite*

    Costume Designer Dede Ayite headshot

  • Lighting Designer

    Mark McCullough

    /artists/m/ma-mn/mark-mccullough/

  • Projection Designer

    S. Katy Tucker

    /artists/t/to-tz/s.-katy-tucker/

    S. Katy Tucker - Projection Designer - pictured in stocking hat and coat

Stone Memory

“A monument is a story etched in stone”

What is a monument? Who is it for? What does it ask of us? Stone Memory was a world premiere installation projecting compelling moving images March 3 - 15 on the REACH campus across our Skylight Pavilion’s 145-foot-long, 42-foot-tall exterior wall, and was commissioned to accompany the world premiere of Written In Stone. 

Stone Memory

“A monument is a story etched in stone”

What is a monument? Who is it for? What does it ask of us? Stone Memory was a world premiere installation projecting compelling moving images March 3 - 15 on the REACH campus across our Skylight Pavilion’s 145-foot-long, 42-foot-tall exterior wall, and was commissioned to accompany the world premiere of Written In Stone. 

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Terms and Conditions

All events and artists subject to change without prior notice.

All ticket prices are subject to change based on demand. Purchase early to lock in prices and the best seats!

Sponsors

Additional support provided by

The National Endowment for the Arts, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music

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