Did I Just Say That?

the heart of a diva beats in every social justice warrior’s chest

Coming
November 2022

‘Did I Just Say That?’ is a new chamber operetta by Valerie Sing Turner (librettist) and Katerina Gimon (composer). This short comedy explores the challenges women of colour face when engaging with operatic works and characters.


The Opera

A friendship is tested when Cecilia, a white composer, tries to convince her roommate, Gabriella, a writer of colour – who has just returned home from a #MeToo moment with a TV producer – to enter a new opera competition together. Their debate about the whiteness of opera, the problematic portrayal of racialized women, and whether they should enter the competition devolves into a “diva-off” that features musical quotes from some of the most famous arias in the canon.

Inspired by actual events, the 20-minute comedic operetta explores themes of feminism, racial intersectionality, and what it means to embody artistic risk in a patriarchal society in which women must diminish or silence themselves in order to get ahead. We believe the heart of a diva beats in every social justice warrior’s chest!


Co-creators

Valerie Sing Tuner

Katerina Gimon

Perri Lo

Debi Wong

Librettist, Director

Composer

Musical Direction

Dramaturgy

Performers

Emma Parkinson

Eva Tavares

Mezzo-Soprano

Soprano

Co-commissioned by re:Naissance Opera & Visceral Visions