Those of you in the Toronto area might want to check out Stitch, an a cappella opera with libretto by Anna Chatterton (perhaps one of the busiest and most dedicated librettists Canada has seen) and music by Juliet Palmer. Produced by the urbanvessel collective, this is an opera about clothes and the people who make them:From the abuse of the sweatshop to the fantasy of costume and the empowerment of sewing-it-yourself, the sewing machine has been a force for liberation and exploitation since its invention in the 19th century. Anchored in the sounds and rhythms of sewing, Stitch uncovers the emotional layers of the relationship between woman and barely-tamed machine.
Hemmed in by the language of sewing and the inexorable rhythm of the machine, three women fight to find space for imagination and individuality. From the sweet 3-part stylings of “Cowl-neck Blues” to the fierce interlocked minimalism of “Chain stitch, Lock stitch, Whip stitch”, Stitch gives voice to the unseen women who clothe us.
Stitch will be performed by Neema Bickersteth, Christine Duncan, and Patricia O'Callaghan, and runs March 12-16 at Lennox Contemporary at 12 Ossington Avenue as part of Harbourfront World Stage. Tickets are $10 matinee/$20 evening.
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