
Waitress
By Kaija Saariaho, Sofi Oksanen and Aleksi Barrière
Dates
June 1-21, 2024
Composer
Kaija Saariaho
Original Finnish Libretto
Sofi Oksanen
Text dramaturgy and multi-language translations
Aleksi Barrière
Languages
English, Finnish, Czech, Romanian, French, Swedish, German, Spanish and Greek
Price
Starting at $26
Run Time
1 hour, 45 minutes (no intermission)
A joyous wedding celebration takes a shocking turn when the darkest of family secrets is revealed and a young bride has an impossible decision to make.
Acclaimed by The New York Times as a “masterpiece,” Innocence takes us to the limits of a family’s ability to deal with tragedy. In a gripping one-act drama, Kaija Saariaho and Sofi Oksanen unfold a harrowing story of emotional shock and surprise in which our understanding of innocence and guilt is continually upended.
Premiered in Aix-en-Provence in 2021 and making its American premiere in San Francisco, Innocence makes clear the power of the opera stage to tell emotive stories impossible in any other art form. Saariaho specialist Clément Mao-Takacs leads an international cast of singers and actors in this towering work performed in multiple languages.
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Composer
Librettist
Dramaturg and Translator
Production
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer & Mixing Engineer
Choreographer
* San Francisco Opera Debut
PERFORMANCES
June 1, 7, 12, 16, 18, 21, 2024
Co-Commission and Co-Production of Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, San Francisco Opera, Dutch National Opera Amsterdam, Royal Opera House-Covent Garden London, Finnish National Opera and Ballet Helsinki
This production is made possible, in part, by the Phyllis C. Wattis Fund for New Productions; Keith and Priscilla Geeslin; Louise Gund; Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem.
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.