Gesang (Alice)

Originality:

"Alice" is a chamber opera that stands out for its originality in presenting a contemporary adaptation of the book Alice in Wonderland, focusing on an 18-year-old who grapples with the transition to adulthood and seeks her identity in a delirious night through the streets of Caracas. This reinvention of the classic character takes the opera into new territory, where universal and timeless themes are combined with the experiences of contemporary youth, making it unique and relevant to modern audiences.

Contributions to Society:

"Alice" contributes to society by addressing crucial themes such as identity exploration and the process of youth growth. By staging Alice's internal struggle, the opera invites the audience to reflect on their own experiences and challenges in facing adulthood. The work also highlights the importance of the decisions we make at that stage, as well as the external influences surrounding us, such as love, excess, and temptation. These contributions aim to generate empathy and understanding across different generations and cultures.

Innovation:

"Alice" stands out for its innovative approach to set design and audience interaction. By using lighting and contrast, the opera constructs the nighttime atmosphere of the city of Caracas and its sensations within the performance venue, creating an immersive experience for spectators. Furthermore, through a dispersion device within the audience, each viewer gains a unique perspective and becomes a constitutive element of the work's environment. This active interaction of the audience with the plot and characters aims to break traditional barriers between the stage and the audience, allowing for a deeper connection with the story.

In summary, "Alice" is a chamber opera that offers a contemporary adaptation of Lewis Carroll's text with an original libretto by Ángel Hernández Lovera, exploring identity exploration and the transition to adulthood in today's youth. Its originality lies in the combination of timeless themes with contemporary experience, while its contributions to society seek to generate empathy and understanding across different generations. Additionally, its innovative approach to set design and audience participation provides a unique and moving theatrical experience.

Set Design:

The proposed set design for the opera "Alice" is set in a vibrant Night Club, creating an immersive and unique environment for the audience. The stage transforms into a nighttime gathering place, where the audience will feel like club patrons, seated at strategically placed tables to be part of the action.

The Night Club will be richly decorated with details evoking a nighttime and perhaps slightly unsophisticated atmosphere. Lights, curtains, and a large illuminated sign with the club's name in the background will contribute to recreating the typical aesthetics of these spaces. A well-lit bar will occupy a central space on the stage, giving it an authentic and lively touch.

From the beginning of the opera, the singers will already be present, part of the set design itself. They will be dressed according to their role, interacting with the "patrons" during the performance, and singing from different areas of the stage. This will contribute to a deeper immersion of the audience in the story, making them feel like part of the environment and the situations unfolding.

The musicians will also be an integral part of the set design, occupying a strategic place on the stage, like the Night Club's house band. Instead of being hidden in the orchestra pit, the musicians will be visible to the audience but will harmoniously integrate with the venue's aesthetics.

This set design proposal aims to break with conventional operatic tradition, offering a closer and more participatory experience for the audience. By turning the stage into an authentic Night Club and allowing singers and musicians to be part of the action, a deeper connection between artists and the audience will be achieved, creating an unforgettable theatrical and musical experience.

The Night Club as a set design offers a perfect environment to explore Alice's identity exploration in a contemporary and emotionally charged setting. Through this proposal, the opera "Alice" reinvents itself and presents as an exciting and relevant experience for today's audiences.