Synopsis

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Lucas Richman

DIGNITY is a two-act opera which uncovers the fall of Giuseppe “Joe” Conforto from his life as a leading baritone opera star in New York to being homeless and forgotten on the streets of Philadelphia. His story enfolds in the present as his younger son, Timothy, searches for his father with the aid of a former unhoused army veteran, Bleda. However, Joe’s mental state is such that, when confronted with uncomfortable circumstances, he retreats into flashback performances of scenes from various (faux) operas that parallel his present life. For instance, the police force’s dissolution of the tent city conjures a scene of a pogrom taking place in a Russian opera; his memory of a particularly heated fight with his now ex-wife conjures a sparring duet from the German opera, “The Jealous Wife.” Side by side with the present events, traditional flashbacks also convey Joe’s trajectory from being the toast of the town to sitting alone on an apple crate on a dirty sidewalk. Through Timothy’s journey to find his father, the audience experiences the frustrations inherent with dealing with administrative systems set up to manage the homeless crisis. Ultimately, Timothy finds his father and the community rallies to support Joe’s reintegration into society.