The technical prowess and connection to their characters’ stories were precisely what made the most of the vulnerabilities and space given in the music.Ĭarla López-Speziale in I Am a Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams–Photo by Kathy Wittman | Ball Square Filmsĭuring flashbacks to their childhood, Jacobs’ libretto creates complex layers to the characters through their common traumas, hopes, and history. The two star vocalists were a sublime pairing–their duets so heavy and potent at times that they brought tears to the eyes of the audience. Equally as commanding, López-Speziale dark tone was matched only by the acumen she brought to her character. Huang’s performance was chilling even in the most intensely dense moments, her voice was dominant and piercing with distress. Immediately, López-Speziale and Huang matched Jacobs’ narrative complexity with an astonishing depth. With such a deeply layered story and complementary music, the characters were exposed, both vocally and emotionally, which placed them in a position to make or break the performance. With such a gripping narrative, Sosa’s keen sense of pacing and space allowed the performers to be supported or bare in the most timely moments. Often, the recontextualization challenges the listeners’ preconceived ideas, inviting reflection on whether or not the meaning applies to all people. Moments of distinct and simple themes are cleverly woven in, taking often recognizable melodies with specific contextual meanings, such as Bernstein’s “America” theme, and twisting them to highlight irony or other subtle emotions. Sosa’s composition is well-balanced to the story’s narrative, and his vocal writing aroused strong emotional peaks and valleys, magnified by the characters’ impassioned performances. In a dynamic exchange, Singa realizes the disparity between Rosa’s life and her life, vigorously explaining, “Our lives seem so far apart but for a Green Card,” to which Rosa asks, “Am I reduced to a piece of plastic?” Jacobs’ astute observations of the multifaceted hardships faced by “in-between people” in various immigrant populations humanizes the deeply emotional stories many have overlooked or become desensitized to in today’s culture.Ĭarla López-Speziale and Helen Zhibing Huang in I Am a Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams–Photo by Kathy Wittman | Ball Square Films

Initially misjudging one another based on immigration status, the pair discover the commonalities between their families’ stories that led them to arrive in this jail cell together. Jacobs’ mindful lyrics paint an intricate relationship of the characters assumptions about each other. A firefighter died battling a fire started by Alt-Right counter-protesters during a demonstration Rosa organized, leaving her liable. Singa, played by Helen Zhibing Huang, visits Rosa, played by Carla López-Speziale, as a court-ordered attorney. Composer Jorge Sosa and Creator/Librettist Cerise Lim Jacobs draw from their own personal and familial stories to evoke a raw and powerful narrative, brought to life through Elena Araoz’s insightful directorial touch. On September 21, 2019, White Snake Projects’ new opera I Am a Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams explored humanity and compassion in the darkest of situations Rosa, a Mexican born DACA recipient, and Singa, of Chinese descent who came to the United States from Indonesia, relate their families’ journeys that brought them to this fateful exchange. This is not just a drama about Rosa, but a storying of immigrants.

The stage opens in silence to a bleak jail cell, brightly lit by abrasive fluorescents–a woman, Rosa, sitting on the austere bed with her head down.

Rosa i am gangster