Oberlin

A row of children, one of whom held in her outstretched hand a witch's decapitated head, was the scene to end Oberlin Opera Theatre's spectacularly deranged performance of Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. 

Humperdinck completed the opera in 1892, drawing much of his inspiration from traditional German folk songs. Oberlin Opera Theater director Jonathon Field infused the drama with themes of family abuse, survival, and rebellion. Characters fought often, both physically and emotionally. The violence was enough to warrant a disclaimer from Field: "Portions may not be suitable for patrons younger than 12" (although it is likely this provocative warning enticed more audience members than it discouraged.) 

Field displayed the origins of the family trouble, portraying the siblings' father as abusive at the expense of his wife, who in turn hit the children, who likewise became aggressive with each other. In the final scene, an ironic and cyclical ending is brought to this subject. After killing the witch, an empowered and primitively fierce Hansel and Gretel were confronted by their dumbstruck parents, an ironic twist on the relationship of authority between the two parties.

The cast of Hansel and Gretel displayed an incredible amount of maturity and grace in both singing and acting. Nicole Levesque '14 and Emily Hopkins '15 took on the demanding roles of Hansel and Gretel. Asked to act much younger than their age and perform in all but one short scene, Levesque and Hopkins convincingly embodied rambunctious and disobedient children.

The young actresses often quarreled, but subtlely reminded the audience of the family bond that enabled them to together defeat the witch. The quality of sound with which they sang also served to suspend disbelief. Their voices remained light and energetic, an effective contrast to  the mature and mellow tone of the mother (Hannah Hagerty '15) and father (Michael Davis '15).

Returning to her alma mater, soprano Karen Jesse reconstructed the character of the witch from her role in the 2003 Oberlin production. Straying from a traditional black garb and repulsive demeanor, the budding opera star donned a patchwork dress of many colors, matching the fake but alluring structure of her gingerbread house. The dress, tight stockings, heavy makeup, and restrained movements led Jesse to appear similar to a Pixar animation. Jesse soon fell into a more malicious persona, sporting a disturbing laugh and authoritative tone.

The precise articulation of all singers, from the chorus to leading roles, was of particular note. A clear and entertaining edge to each musical dialogue was provided by the frequent but well coordinated harsh consonants of the German language. In Jesse's lamenting of a caged Hansel's insufficient size, she used this articulation as a special effect, proclaiming with a hoarse and haunting voice, "schlicker, schlecker, lecker, lecker!"       

Set designer Christopher McCollum, lighting designer Jeremy K. Benjamin, and costume designer Chris Flaharty provided impressive effects and sets to enhance the drama. Evoking a hazy atmosphere, the second act was performed from behind a transparent screen, with life-size trees shifting as Hansel and Gretel became increasingly lost in the woods. As night fell, the trees slowly parted to give way to a digital projection of a gigantic moon, slowly rising to illuminate the entire stage.

The moon did not stay intact for long. As pieces of the moon shattered into the darkness, these virtual shards became physical matter, dropped from above the stage onto figures waiting in the shadows, who at the touch of this "moon dust" rose with brilliant white and flowing gowns. This sequence of events, unfolding over a graceful orchestral texture and no vocals, was a beautiful moment in an otherwise aggressive production.

Led by conductor Raphael Jiménez, the orchestra provided a solid foundation for the singers. After a well-performed overture, the ensemble struggled at times with intonation and was for a few brief moments out of sync with the singers. Jimenéz, who has significant experience directing from the pit, handled the young singers well, providing a clear and articulate accompaniment, and showing flexibility in adjusting to sometimes erratic tempos.

In all aspects of the production of Hansel and Gretel, Oberlin wowed. The performers both on stage and in the pit demonstrated a true maturity and depth of understanding. But the chief engineer of success was Field, who did not disappoint in providing a creative and exciting interpretation of the once-innocent fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel.