The Blind Date: A Chamber Opera in One Act
for four singers and piano (2016)
Libretto by Stephen Rawson and Jordan Jenkins

Full duration: 13 minutes
Premiered on October 29th and 30th at Roosevelt University

Grace: Rebekah Lesho
Arthur: Ian McGuffin
Waitress: Andrea Palma
Bartender: Sarah Phillips

Piano: Elizabeth Newkirk
Directed by Andrew Eggert and Scott Gilmore

Video recording from the premiere on October 30th.

Program note: 

Two characters, Grace and Arthur met on an online dating site and set up a date for 8:00pm at the Italian restaurant Mario’s in Chicago while Grace is in town briefly on business. After a late arrival, the two can’t seem to hit it off, presumably because they don’t have much in common. The real reason, which becomes evident though the course of the drama, is that they are both sabotaged by their own expectations and inner demons that they are unable to overcome. This clouds their judgement of the other person, ultimately leading to the date’s failure.