Edited by Randi Bjornstad

Eugene Opera concludes its 2024–25 season on May 30-31 with the contemporary dramatic opera, Dark Sisters, composed by Nico Muhly, with a libretto by Stephen Karam.

Inspired by the 2008 raid on the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) compound in Schleicher County, Texas—where hundreds of children were taken into protective custody due to allegations of abuse, including the forced marriage of teenage girls—Dark Sisters follows a fictional polygamous family of five sister wives grappling with the loss of their children. The crisis prompts one wife to question her faith and identity, ultimately leading her to attempt an escape from the only life she’s known.

In conjunction with the production, Eugene Opera has organized a community panel discussion, “Shedding Light on Dark Sisters,” featuring experts from law, journalism, philosophy, and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, alongside representatives from local service organizations such as Hope and Safety Alliance and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates).

Topics of discussion will include: patriarchy, polygamy, child marriage, domestic abuse, religious liberty versus child protection, the role of journalism in whistle blowing, and the use of opera as a vehicle for marginalized voices and personal expression.

The 90-minute panel discussion will take place on Monday, May 19, at 6:30 p.m. at Emmaus Lutheran Church’s Fellowship Hall at1250 W. 18th Ave. in Eugene and will include panelist presentations, a group discussion, and an audience Q&A. The panel will be moderated by Jennifer Reynolds, Dean of the University of Oregon’s School of Law.

Panelists include:

  • Nathan Troup, Stage Director for Dark Sisters
  • Cynthia Ochoa Cuevas, Community Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator, Hope and Safety Alliance
  • Leslie Harris, Professor Emerita, University of Oregon School of Law
  • Bonnie Mann, Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Oregon
  • Gabriela Martínez, Professor, Journalism and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, University of Oregon
  • Anice Thigpen, Composer, A-Squared Productions
  • Chrissa Dockendorf, Intake and Case Manager, CASA

Eugene Opera has a longstanding commitment to producing operas that explore urgent social issues. Past productions such as Dead Man Walking (capital punishment), As One (a transgender woman’s journey), and Lucy (a chimpanzee raised as human for scientific research) have been accompanied by community discussions.

Dark Sisters continues that tradition. It doesn’t present a clear-cut story of heroes and villains. Instead, it explores the deeply personal and often conflicting experiences of the women involved. The opera’s real-world inspiration was marked by legal and ethical complexities, media scrutiny, and divided public opinion. The panel discussion aims to help audiences engage with these nuances and consider how such issues persist beyond the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints community in broader societal contexts.

Eugene Opera presents Dark Sisters

When: 7:30 p.m. on May 30 and 31, 2025 (pre-show talk at 6:45 p.m. with conductor Andrew Bisantz; meet-up with the cast following the performances

Where: Richard E. Wildish Community Theater, 630 Main St., Springfield

Tickets: $35/$45/$55 ($3 per ticket handling fee), available online at eugeneopera.org or wildishtheater.com