With inspiration from the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice and from the Arab love story between Layla and Majnun, the Orpheus & Majnun Opera, which takes the stage of the António Lamoso Cinema-Theater on September 12th at 7 p.m., and is included in the program of the Imaginarius – the Santa Maria da Feira International Street Theater Festival, leads spectators on a journey through Western and Eastern mythological elements, via music and poetry, performed by international and local artists, bringing together various origins and cultures.
On stage, nine international artists (5 musicians and 4 soloists), a choir comprising 20 local artists from 4 cultural associations in the territory of Feira, as well as narrator Maria Mata, convey the particularities of the vision of these two cultures, centered on love, loss and desire, always from the feminine perspective of Layla & Eurydice. Musicians who are part of the choir of the Orpheus & Majnun Opera belong to the CIRAC – Recreation, Art and Culture Circle of Paços de Brandão, the Casa de Gaia – Culture, Sports and Recreation Center of Argoncilhe, the Culture and Recreation of the Orfeão da Feira, and the Voltado a Poente – Cultural Association.
Orpheus & Majnun is an intercultural, interdisciplinary and inclusive project, underpinned on human values uniting the cultural diversity of two narratives: the Greek legend Orpheus & Majnun and the Arab love story between Layla and Majnun. The project fosters a set of participative processes with citizens of various generations as well as cultural and social contexts. As a creation under itinerancy through several European cities, inclusiveness and diversity are celebrated in whatever territory it finds itself, in communities and their artists making use of the most widespread languages to express themselves on the triad of emotions highlighting the project: love, loss and desire.
In Santa Maria da Feira, the city that closes this European project, the Orpheus & Majnun includes programming by Imaginarius – the International Street Theater Festival, comprising different initiatives and actions, culminating with the Orpheus & Majnun Opera.
Co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe Program, the Orpheus & Majnun project has partners that include the Aix-en-Provence Festival, La Monnaie / De Munt, Krakow International Festival, Operadagen Rotterdam, the Municipality of Santa Maria da Feira, European Capital of Culture Valleta 2018 and Wiener Konzerthaus.
Admission to the Orpheus & Majnun Opera is free of charge, with limited seats available. Tickets can be reserved at www.bol.pt.
