Regardless of the answer to the question posed in my title, Awakenings is extremely well done! Kudos to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for as professional a production of an opera as I have seen. Awakenings is a new opera composed by Tobias Picker with a libretto by Aryeh Lev Stollman, commissioned by OTSL and Tulsa Opera. The opera is based upon the 1973 nonfiction book “Awakenings” by neurologist Oliver Sacks, who had a gift for discovering meaning in rare, unusual neurological conditions and writing about them with understanding and sympathy. In the opera, Mr. Sacks becomes part of the story. One never knows how new operas will fare in the long run, but I believe Awakenings will stand the test of time.
l to r: Dr. Oliver Sacks (Jarrett Porter), Frank (Jared Esguerra), Dr. Podsnap (David Pittsinger), Physician 1 (Manfred Anaya), Physician 2 (Mishael Eusebio), Physician 3 (Rachel Blaustein) consider Dr. Sacks’ request to treat patients with L-DOPA. Photo by Eric Woolsey; courtesy of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
At first the plot seems to be a medical report of case studies of patients suffering from encephalitis lethargica, a pandemic that once afflicted millions in the 1920s. In some survivors, the disease caused a state where victims were conscious and lived for decades but were speechless and motionless, causing the disease to be referred to as the sleeping sickness (not the same as the fly-caused disease). The disease remains a mystery and is rarely seen today. Dr. Sacks read a journal article where L-DOPA was used as a treatment for parkinsonism, a disease with some medical characteristics similar to sleeping sickness. Dr. Sacks’ treatment of his patients with the drug worked, and he became famous for it. However, the plot thickened. Unfortunately, the drug’s effects wore off, and it caused complications of its own. Dr. Sacks who led this effort, despite the skepticism of the hospital administration, enjoyed the ride up and suffered the ride down as did his patients. While much was learned of medical value from the Sacks’ experiment, the opera is about the psychological and emotional parameters of human life. The opera draws a parallel between the Sleeping Beauty fairytale and L-DOPA’s awakening of the patients with Dr. Sacks being the Prince. Awakenings is deeply affecting; I found myself growing to care about each of the characters.
As his mother (Katherine Goeldner) looks on, patient Leonard (Marc Molomot) is helped by a nurse (Andres Acosta) and Dr. Sacks (Jarrett Porter). Photo by Eric Woolsey; courtesy of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
As the medication effects start to wear off, one of the characters, Leonard, begins repeating this refrain: “The world is filled with devils. A world polluted. But I am still rising from the Ashes of Defeat/To the Glory of Greatness.” Tragedy is in the wings, Greek-styled; Fate asserts itself as the drug’s benefits diminish. Not having read the Sacks’ book, nor having seen the academy award nominated film by the same title, nor the play, nor the ballet, I found the opera rich in new meaning, posing questions. Should the research have been done? Was the return to normalcy for just a limited time followed by relapse a good thing for the patients? And we the audience don’t get off even that lightly: do we all keep parts of ourselves in a sleeping state throughout our normal lives as did the real Dr. Sacks regarding his homosexuality? Dr. Sacks was told by his mother when she discovered his homosexuality that she wished he had never been born; he hid this part of himself from the public for most of his life, never letting this important aspect of his personality blossom…to his dismay; this was not alluded to in the book or the film version. Do we all have our own personal tragedies, repressing aspects of ourselves? Are they made for us by ourselves or by Fate? Have we witnessed a tragedy, or not?
Rose (Susanna Phillips) has awakened and dances. Photo by Eric Woolsey; courtesy of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
Composer Picker was a close friend of Dr. Sacks, whom he credits with helping him deal with the shame he felt about his Tourette’s Syndrome, which includes tics similar to those of patients in Awakenings. When Mr. Picker expressed interest to him in making an opera based on one of his books, Dr. Sacks recommended Awakenings. Mr. Picker and Mr. Stollman are spouses, and the opera’s words and drama are as wedded as the opera’s composer is to its librettist. They worked together as well as lived together throughout its creation, scene by scene. The music was beautifully played by Conductor Roberto Kalb and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. The varied score painted the tense scenes with dissonance and its tender moments with lovely melody, always steady in enhancing the emotions on stage. While the music never competed with the drama for attention, the music did grow lush and especially beautiful in the scene where Dr. Sacks took his patients into the botanical garden, perhaps my favorite scene in the opera.
Miriam (Adrienne Danrich) and Rose (Susanna Philips) bond during their awake period. Photo by Eric Woolsey; courtesy of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
OSTL assembled a fine cast for this production, with 15 named players, with many being soloists; all the performers added to the impact of the opera. Part of my initial attraction to this production was the inclusion of soprano Susanna Phillips, my all-time favorite Musetta; although I have seen her in several Met Opera videos, this was my first time in person. It had been a while since I had seen her work, and she was splendid as Rose, a patient much later in life who had been afflicted in her twenties, causing the loss of a suitor who seemed still there to her for over twenty years. It was marvelous to become reacquainted with the beautiful timbre of Ms. Phillips’ voice. She was matched with a powerful performance by soprano Adrienne Danrich. She played Miriam who bonded with Rose when revived by the drug. Her aria sung as she recognized the changes in Rose was quite touching. During her awakening, Miriam was reunited with a daughter taken from her, causing her great pain that endured during her long illness. Tenor Marc Molomot’s charismatic portrayal of Leonard, an immobile patient who could read was exceptional, and beautifully coupled with Katherine Goeldner’s excellent soprano vocals as his doting mother who turned the pages for him. Tenor Andres Acosta, who played Nurse, sang beautifully and made a believable love interest for Dr. Sacks, a love interest he clearly wanted but could not accept or return, not at that point. Another stand out for me was bass-baritone David Pittsinger as Dr. Podsnap, leader of the hospital who struggled with his conscience over conducting the experiment. The focal point of the opera was Dr. Sacks, played to perfection by baritone Jarrett Porter. His excellent singing was perhaps even overshadowed by impressive acting. The thoughtfulness and deep humanity of Dr. Sacks, flaws and all, came across forcefully.
Dr. Sacks (Jarrett Porter) briefly touches the hand of Nurse (Andres Acosta). Photo by Eric Woolsey; courtesy of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
The staging of this opera was a strong point of the production. Remarkable in the staging were scenes with multiple foci, with singing and action around different patients taking place concurrently. Kudos to stage director James Robinson. Allen Moyer’s set using six large window frames to form walls and separations were effective both physically and symbolically as the patients opened and then closed again. The movement of so many players around a small stage, including limited dancing, requires a deft touch; choreographer Seán Curran had the touch. The singers and supernumeraries moved props around unobtrusively during scene changes; the forward motion never faltered. The lighting and projections, adding background and context to the scenes, especially in the garden scene, were excellent; kudos to Greg Emetaz for video projections and Christopher Akerlind for lighting. The costumes were sufficiently effective at setting the time and place of the story that I took them for granted; kudos to costume designer James Schuette.
Dr. Sacks (Jarrett Porter) is left to ponder and question what happened to his patients and himself, as the patients are again silent behind windows. Photo by Eric Woolsey; courtesy of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
I have sometimes wished I could see myself as a movie character, gaining the perspective of how others see me. What if I could have viewed each day’s taping from the viewpoints of my friends and fellow workers? Would my choices have changed? Good operas do that in measure, adding emphasis with music. Sometimes operas addressing important contemporary social issues, that need to be addressed, can come off as a bit preachy. However, the best operas make it personal by giving us glimpses of ourselves in others. I think Awakenings is among the best.
The Fan Experience: Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ 2022 Spring Festival runs May 21-June 26. Performances of Awakenings were scheduled for June 5, 9, 11, 18, and 24. The opera runs for two and one-half hours. The opera is sung in English with English supertitles projected.
The moderate size venue for the opera is the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts on the Webster University campus. This is a modern facility with excellent acoustics; 763 seats are placed in a semicircle of seats around the stage. A special appeal of the venue are the beautiful picnic grounds adjacent to the theater, where you may pre-order boxed meals if ordered 24 hours in advance. You can also choose to provide your own food and beverages to enjoy on the grass or using the tables and chairs provided, some under cover. Free parking is available.