Thur-Sat. May 22-June 7, 8:00pm, Sun June 1, 2:00pm
Erling Wold's Fabrications (San Francisco) & Frieder Weiß (Germany)
Mordake (world premiere)
Shotwell Studios, 3252-A 19th Street (@ Shotwell)
TICKETS: $20 General Admission. Click Here for Information on discount tickets.
BOX-OFFICE: 800-838-3006
Presented by Erling Wold's Fabrications, Footloose Studios and SFIAF.

SFIAF 2008 features the world premiere of Bay Area composer and multi-instrumentalist Erling Wold's latest opera project, titled Mordake which will open on Thursday May 22. Mordake is a new multi-disciplinary work that fuses opera, multi-media computer technology, poetry and electronic music. The work is being created specifically for renowned tenor John Duykers, who will be the only live performer visible to the audience. The creative team that will be responsible for putting Mordake on stage is led by Wold and interactive video designer Frieder Weiß from Nürnburg, Germany. The piece will be directed by Melissa Weaver and poet Douglas Kearney will create the libretto (see biographies) Mordake tells of the difficulties of integrating the diverse aspects of ourselves: male and female, the public self and its shadow; and the destruction brought about when we resist this union. The tale, from a book of medical curiosities of the nineteenth century, is the strange case of Edward Mordake and his 'devil twin' — a man tormented by a woman's voice coming from a face on the back of his head. The voice taunts him and reveals to him his true nature but, unable to see this, and unable to integrate the masculine and feminine aspects of his personality, Mordake ultimately destroys himself and his family. Although the story takes place in the nineteenth century, it is a metaphor for today, the uneasy unity of our culture, strengthened and troubled in equal amounts by its diversity.

Even though there is only one performer on stage, this lone performer is extended and enhanced visually and aurally through a variety of interactive video and audio techniques, and there will be prolific use of processing, electronics and synthesis effects. The video effects are quite dazzling, putting the audience in a world with the performer, allowing the performer to manipulate the space, as well as to exist in many spaces that would be unrealizable in a traditional theatrical set.

Wold said of his latest project, "We are very excited about Mordake; it is a sad but compelling story and John sings multiple parts beautifully. Frieder and I have also had a lot of fun with the technological aspects of the show. We have been developing some interactive audio and video techniques that have never been used before in a live operatic performance."

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES