Black Water

On the evening of July 18, 1969, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy hosted a party in a remote part of Massachusetts. In attendance were only older married men and a group of women in their 20s. At 11:15 pm Kennedy left with Mary Jo Kopechne. It was the last time she was seen alive.

Based on the novella by Joyce Carol Oates, Black Water is a one-woman opera by Jeremy Beck exploring the anguished experience through her flashbacks and dreams.
Performed by Soprano Aleise Bright and Pianist Danaë Killian. Staged by Jesse Matthews.

It’s time to hear her story.

“As an opera, Black Water is more in the Sondheim vein than Mozart. ... Opera is a hard sell in
‘small’ theatre; ... . [but] Black Water is one of the best I’ve seen.”
– Theatre in London (Canada)

“Black Water ... showcase[s] Beck’s dramatic flair.”
- Gramophone Magazine

“Forest Collective make contemporary music sound, look, and feel exciting.”
- CutCommon