Staging a Loose Canon

Abstract

Abstract Opera companies face a unique challenge in the 21st century: how to stage historical works in the face of modern-day cultural norms. Many companies rely on opera’s long-standing staging practices—including blackface and yellowface—for productions of canonical operas. Yet, as questions of racism and sexism come to the fore in the cultural sector, opera’s reliance on both historical repertoire and traditional staging practices is under increased scrutiny. This chapter considers the degree to which companies find themselves in an ideological conflict between operatic tradition and contemporary social expectations. This chapter examines how the nature of the operatic canon and the resulting rift between different audiences is forcing companies to address the artform’s institutionalized racism and misogyny. Drawing on examples of recent productions, it describes three strategies employed by companies in order to resolve the problematic elements of canonical works: (1) revision or reinterpretation, (2) education and contextualization, and (3) casting.