ESPERANZA
World Premiere — Madison, Wisconsin — August 26-30, 2000
University of Wisconsin-Madison — Music Hall
An Opera by David Bishop Libretto by Carlos Morton
Created under the Artistic Direction of Karlos Moser
Sponsored by the
Wisconsin State AFL-CIO and the Wisconsin Labor History Society
KARLOS MOSER
Conductor
NORMA SALDIVAR
Stage Director
JOSEPH VARGA
Scenic Designer
KAREN BROWN-LARIMORE
Costume Designer
JOHN FRAUTSCHY
Lighting Designer
MELINDA L. MOSER
Musical Coach
KATHLEEN McELROY
Project Manager
Esperanza is inspired by and adapted from the screenplay for the film Salt of the Earth. This opera was written and performed in consultation with, and with the gracious support of the creators of that film.
The film's screenplay, in turn, is based on the real life experiences of the women and men of the Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers Union Local 890 community in Grant County, New Mexico. With Esperanza, we honor and remember the people whose lives inspired this story, and we honor and remember the film Salt of the Earth and the film's creators, Paul Jarrico, Herbert Biberman, and Michael Wilson.
Esperanza is a Labor Arts Project of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO and the Wisconsin Labor History Society. We created this opera as part of the movement to recreate a culture of union organizing in this country, a battle in which the arts, with their ability to stir emotions and evoke important truths, can play a critical role.