Birds in the Moon: A Mobile Opera

Composer Mark Grey and playwright/librettist Júlia Canosa i Serra created the unique and engaging chamber opera "Birds in the Moon." The West Coast premiere was presented live to audiences on Sept. 1-4 in Santa Monica Public Parking lot #27 located on the corner of 5th Street and Arizona Avenue.

Juanita Hernandez' promotional work for the Birds in the Moon street play stands within the walkway of the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Calif. on September 14, 2021. Hernandez was commissioned by the Birds in the Moon team and was one of three students awarded for her work by The Broad Stage. (Marc Federici | The Corsair)

The Broad Stage describes this production on their website as a story following a female protagonist and migrant, Bird Mother (Maria Elena Altany), who makes a deal with the Ringmaster (Austin Spranger) to perform for his circus in order to “protect her daughter from evil forces that threaten to put an end to their journey” toward a better life. Throughout the opera, the audience experienced original compositions performed by the Friction Quartet ensemble, in addition to soundscapes and visual projections that convey Bird Mother's conflict with the Ringmaster as well as her hope for a better future.

The performance takes place on a shipping container transformed into a mobile stage with high-end audio and visual technology capabilities. The set portrays the traveling show wagon, or traveling caravan, the Ringmaster and Bird Mother use to travel throughout the United States (U.S.). Dr. Brian Stone, a Santa Monica native, accomplished conductor, and 2017-2019 Santa Monica College Symphony Orchestra Director, felt that the traveling caravan was one of his favorite aspects of "Birds in the Moon." Stone said, "I hope traveling caravan shows [mobile stages] will get people to remember how nice it is to react and receive the show with people next to you, instead of [watching on] a computer monitor."

Caravans often carry Central American migrants traveling through Mexico to the U.S. seeking asylum. This significantly historical aspect of a caravan is symbolic in "Birds in the Moon." Bird Mother’s struggle is not unlike the thousands of migrants who travel long distances under extreme circumstances to escape persecution, poverty and violence in their home countries.

Stone felt the audience absorbed and deeply connected to what they were hearing and seeing, rather than merely being passive observers. “I was really happy to see this thoughtful and genuinely intriguing project come to Santa Monica,” he says.

In reference to the effects of the COVID-19 shutdowns on the arts and performance communities over the past year, Stone recounts the experience as very frustrating, especially for live performances and performers. However, he does believe that outdoor performances like "Birds in the Moon" retain and revive a community aspect that performances lose when streamed online. Stone said, “The experience of watching remote performances from home does not compare to the “accurate immediacy of live performance.”

Based on his lifelong passion for and involvement in the arts, Stone sees the Santa Monica performing arts scene continuing its tradition of being vibrant and progressive for many years to come. Stone summed up his "Birds in the Moon" experience. He said, “It’s an ideal presentation for Santa Monica’s cultural life. It’s thought provoking and extremely well executed… It happened on a beautiful evening in Santa Monica at sunset.”

Visit the official website for "Birds in the Moon."