Name: Dialogues of the Carmelites
Start: 2026-02-06T19:30:00-05:00
End: 2026-02-06T22:30:00-05:00
Location: Forbes Center for the Performing Arts

Music and libretto by Francis Poulenc
Featuring the JMU Opera Theatre
Fri - Sat, Feb 6 - 7 @ 7:30 pm
Sun, Feb 8 @ 2 pm
Mainstage Theatre
In 1794, during the final days of the French Revolution, a group of Carmelite nuns joyously went to the guillotine singing psalms and hymns of praise. This defiant display of love and generosity in the face of certain death helped turn the tide of the Reign of Terror and has inspired countless individuals in times of crisis and turmoil. This fascinating moment in history became the subject of French composer Francis Poulenc’s 1956 opera. Written in the wake of World War II, "Dialogues of the Carmelites" is a profound meditation unlike any other work in the repertoire. Through beautiful choruses and intricate scenes, the opera explores how we live, how we die, how we fall apart, how we come together, and why we must keep singing to the very end.
Sung in English with English surtitles.
Before each performance, JMU Director of Opera Theatre Joshua Borths will share his insights about the work, starting one hour before curtain and lasting 30 minutes.