Hurting, Healing, Hoping: A Trio of Medical Operas
Jeffrey A. Lockwood, librettist
Michael Udow, composer
The Backstory:
Jeff’s son was involved in a near-fatal automobile accident last summer. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, thirteen fractures, eight surgeries, and a skin graft—but 15 months later, he could run at a 10 minute/mile pace. Based on this experience, Jeff came to appreciate the philosophical, emotional, and technical challenges of trauma. While these days felt lonely at the time, he came to understand how heartbreakingly common it is for medical crises to upend peoples’ lives.
The Project:
There is a tremendous potential for opera to explore the profound nature of mental and physical health and healing—drawing practitioners, patients, and caregivers into deep thought and dialogue about the nature of fear, hope, pain, despair, and trust. In our experience, audiences (including the “opera curious” and aficionadas) enjoy shorter works which provide a range of conceptual and musical perspectives. We are planning for two performances with livestreaming of the operatic trio (~20 minutes each) in Laramie this coming October, 2026.
The Works:
The Waiting Room: Being Patient. Two people are waiting for news—one about her test results for cancer and the other about his son’s emergency surgery, along with a hospital chaplain. They wrestle with “Why me?” and are forced to conclude: “There is no good reason why good people suffer.” When pondering medical miracles the only answer seems to be: “There are events that defy my intellect and delight my soul.”
Being There: A Prescription. A doctor is trying to alleviate a patient’s suffering, while a loved one offers bedside support and advocacy. As the patient and caregiver become increasingly desperate for a medical solution, the doctor navigates between empathy and objectivity. And when asked if there is any treatment that doesn’t come with dire risks, the doctor offers the one, largely inexplicable but empirically sound, intervention: human touch.
Kintsugi: Golden Seams in Cracked Vessels. The opera—titled for the Japanese art form of mending broken ceramics with golden lacquer—is a surrealistic encounter of a man, his body, and his mind during a workout session after an accident. Together, they wrestle with the visible scars of surgery and invisible wounds of depression. And they struggle to balance gratitude for progress with a desire to push further and discover what is possible—or not.
Budget:
Professional Performers (3 Vocal Artists, 6 Instrumentalists and Conductor) $16,550
Staff (Medical consultant, Producer, Videographer, Stage crew) $11,350
Travel (Wyoming and Colorado musicians) $ 4,000
Marketing (advertising, programs) $ 2,000
Venue Rental $ 2,000
TOTAL $35,900
