In light : monodrama for soprano, flute, guitar, percussion and electronics

In Light is a one-act monodrama in five scenes, scored for soprano, flute, guitar, percussion and electronics. The libretto was written by the composer, and is an adaptation of Peitho and the Night by Hannah Kenah. The work was premiered by Jaimie Lowe, Kenzie Slottow, Thomas Echols, Jordan Walsh, and Michael Zapruder at the B. Iden Payne Theater on April 18, 2019. Lighting design is integral to the full realization of In Light, and as such, the piece aims to present an attractive challenge to light artists for whom opportunities to share the foreground in theatrical works may be somewhat rare. In Light tells the story of Hilde, a young woman who spontaneously develops a quantum-accurate sense of light. Through this story, In Light aims to create a space in which the audience might experience light – natural scientific light – anew, as if for the first time. By creating a sonic, visual and narrative space in which quantum effects collide with the ordinary world, In Light explores stark differences between the discontinuous, indeterminate reality of light at the quantum level and the linear, narrative sense of self that humans experience. This paper traces the creation of In Light from initial concepts, through the creation of the story, libretto, and music; and it contains a musical analysis of the work.Musi