Washington Square: a Chamber Opera

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In this chamber opera adaptation of the novel of the same name by Henry James, a naive heiress falls for a handsome man who her overbearing father suspects is after her money.

Score by Felix Jarrar. Libretto by Thomas Barrett Blakeley.

Originally produced as a podcast for Apple Podcasts, the Hollywood Fringe will be Washington Square’s world premiere.

Recipient of the Hollywood Fringe Scholarship.

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With music described as “dreamlike” by the Boston Globe, composer/pianist Felix Jarrar’s list of accomplishments includes performances at (le) poisson rouge, the BAM! Fisher Hillman Studio, Feinstein’s/54 Below, and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. Amongst his approximately 220 works, he’s written over 189 art songs, 12 operas, 2 string quartets, 2 cantatas, and an oratorio. He is the assistant music director for BARN OPERA in Brandon, Vermont and a vocal coach at Mannes School of Music. He completed his Bachelor of Arts at Marlboro Collegeand his Master’s of Music degree at Brooklyn College.

Thomas Barrett Blakeley is a Los Angeles and New York City-based playwright, screenwriter, and librettist. He studied creative writing at The New School, and is passionate about LGBTQ representation and nerdy fandoms. His plays and musicals have been performed at Playwrights Horizons, Theater for the New City, the Dream Up Festival, and the Broadwater Theatre in Hollywood. He was a finalist in the Blank Theatre’s playwriting competition, and a semifinalist in Screencraft’s Animation Screenwriting Competition. He is also a graduate of the Academy for New Musical Theatre. As a freelance writer, he has written about screenwriting for WeScreenplay and InkTip Magazine, and has been a script reader for Coverfly.

Savannah Greene (Catherine Sloper) is a soprano whose voice has been described as “impressive, musical, and soul shaking”. Savannah is thrilled to be performing the role of Catherine Sloper in the live premiere of “Washington Square” with the Hollywood Fringe Festival. In August, Savannah will star in Poulenc’s complex one-woman opera, La Voix Humaine, with The Office Arts in New York City. Recently, she performed as the Soprano Soloist in Pergolesi’s hauntingly beautiful “Stabat Mater” and also covered the role of Brigitta in Pacific Opera Project’s Iolanta. Earlier in the season, Savannah was honored to win 2nd place in the San Francisco Innovative Music Competition and she also advanced as a semi-finalist in the Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition and the Premiere Opera Foundation International Vocal Competition in NYC. In October, Savannah performed music from Rusalka, Così Fan Tutte, and the polish opera Hrabina in “Masks”, a Pandemic inspired concert with Hub City Opera in New Jersey. Last fall, Savannah became a Soprano Staff Singer in the Long Beach Camerata Singers and in March, she was featured as the Soprano Soloist in Northern Lights, a concert that showcased music by Ola Gjeilo. Last April, Savannah debuted the role of The Narrator in the world premiere of Felix Jarrar’s “The Tell Tale Heart”, a contemporary opera based on Edgar Allen Poe’s classic short story. Days before the pandemic began in March 2020, Savannah performed the role of Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi with Regina Opera and sang as the Soprano Soloist in Mendelssohn’s “Hör’ mein Bitten” with RCB’s Oratorio Series. In 2019, she performed the role of 2nd Pâtre in Amore Opera’s production of Dinorah and was the the Soprano Soloist in Brahms’ Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang and Bach’s Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild with the Oratorio Society of New Jersey. During her time of living in NYC, Savannah performed with the trio “Blue Dynamic”, an Opera-Jazz fusion group where she and her colleagues composed and arranged pieces that fused aspects of the two genres.

Being skilled and flexible in his vocal delivery for a variety of genres and styles, Jacob Walters (Morris Townsend) has performed in countless productions, gliding through the contemporary/classical music spectrum. Mr. Walters also placed 1st and 3rd in his divisions of Classical, and Commercial Contemporary Music, respectively, at the 2019 NATS Competition. In addition to opera and musical theatre, Mr. Walters writes, produces, and performs his own music. He has performed his original works across Arizona, both as a solo artist, and with alt-rock band Idle Lights, with a captivating stage presence that mirrors his theatric and enigmatic songwriting. Mr. Walters recently graduated from The University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance, studying under Metropolitan Opera veteran Hugo Vera, as well as world-famous soprano, Yunah Lee. He is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Voice from California State University, Northridge. Follow him on Instagram @khakijake, and check out his website at www.jakewaltersmusic.com!

David Ingram (Dr. Austin Sloper) is a graduate from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance. David has over 13 years of experience performing for audiences and has performed in China, Mexico, and all over the US in roles such as John Styx, Paris, and Dr. Caius. David is excited to be continuing his education at Cal State University Northridge under Maestro Dr. Hugo Vera. David most recently performed the role of Don Alfonso in CSUN Opera’s production of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte in early April of this year and is currently working on the role of Dr. Austin Sloper for the premiere of Washington Square by Felix Jarrar at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June. David expects to graduate with his Masters in Vocal Performance in spring 2023.

Athena Beebe (Aunt Lavinia), mezzo soprano is a recent graduate of the University of Washington receiving her MM in Vocal Performance. Born and raised in the heat of Phoenix, Arizona she attended the University of Arizona where she received her BM in voice performance and was awarded Outstanding Senior of her class. She appeared in many of the university’s operas including L’elisir d’amore in Spring 2016, Dialogues of the Carmelites as Mother Jeanne in Spring 2017, The Rape of Lucretia as Bianca(cover) in Fall 2017, and Orphée aux enfers as Venus in Spring 2018. She was also the alto soloist for the UA Community Chorus’ performance of Vivaldi’s Gloria in Fall 2017 and UA Symphonic Choir’s performance of Mozart’s Coronation Mass in Spring 2018. Outside of the school year she has performed in multiple summer opera programs including Prague Summer Nights’ 2018 production of Die Zauberflöte as Third Lady, Lawrence Opera Theatre’s 2018 production of La Traviata covering the role of Dottore, and Dorabella in The Vocal Academy of Opera’s 2019 production of Così fan tutte. She was most recently seen with Lawrence Opera Theatre in their 2021 production of Roméo et Juliette covering the role Getrude and performing in the company’s premiere of Timothy Peterson’s The Séance as the Medium.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Thymele Arts, 5481 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States