Have you ever felt like your heart filled to the brim and drained all at once? If art is meant to touch the soul, this opera lurches and grabs every inch of you and refuses to let go. Based on a true story of losing a friend to the streets as a teenager, Onalea Gilbertson’s masterpiece is unlike any other. It is, in my opinion, the most real and meaningful theatrical ensemble performed on stage.
The opera, covering topics of addiction, abuse, murder and homelessness, urges the audience to reflect onto themselves, their lives, their humanity and on those that they pass without much thought every single day – the homeless. It combines a range of art forms such as song, spoken word, and poetry accompanied by traditional strings and percussions orchestra, as well as performances on electric and acoustic guitar. Even the actors are diverse, from professional opera performers to participants from The Kettle Society Choir and the Writer’s Guild.
“Requiem For A Lost Girl” pierces straight to what we all have in common: humanity. It actively and unapologetically demands that we all have a conversation to bridge the social gap we know all too well, especially in Vancouver. One of the most powerful performances I’ve ever experienced, this opera that is not merely watched but felt through and through. Every member of the audience was invested and fully wrenched in the anger, the despair, the wrath and the hope.
“Requiem For A Lost Girl” received a standing ovation from a nearly packed theatre. It is surprisingly raw and but still offers a comforting space where we can all convene as humans. It reaffirms us with the uplifting message that no matter what circumstances we encounter in life, no matter the hardship, someone, somewhere loves us.
– Maira Hassan