Consisting of 18 scenes, the opera covers 16 years in the life of Manitoba school teacher and Métis hero Louis Riel, from the Red River Rebellion (1869–70) to the North-West Rebellion (1884–85), and his trial and hanging in Regina in 1885. It also dramatizes the political scheming in Ottawa that resulted from Riel’s actions, as well as several ...
Avertissement de contenu: violence coloniale, colonialisme, mort, maladie
1828, baie Notre Dame, sur la côte nord-est de Terre-Neuve. William Cormack, explorateur et anthropologue, a récemment créé le Beothuk Institute : un organisme destiné à prévenir l'extinction des premiers habitants de l'île. Après avoir appris qu'un Béothuk...
Avertissement de contenu : antisémitisme, génocide, Holocauste, infanticide, meurtre, nazis, violence sexuelle, travail du sexe, violence, guerre
Still the Night tells the fictional story of two Jewish Polish cousins, both named Bryna, who have escaped from the Nazis and joined the Partisans. Along the way they are hung on crosses, raped, almost shot and forced to tu...
Avertissement de contenu : génocide, colonialisme, mort, violence armée, mort d'un enfant, violence contre les animaux
« Rien n’est aussi réconfortant que la captivité ».
Beth, a young diplomat, and her husband Andrew are stationed at a Canadian Embassy in Africa. They are troubled by news of political upheaval, forced migrations and indiscriminate slaughter. They ...
Cormack rencontre Shanawdithit pour la première fois. Elle travaille comme servante pour Peyton depuis cinq ans sous le nom colonial de Nancy April. Cormack est impressionné; cette femme est la dernière des Béothuks. Peyton donne la femme à Cormack, la traitent d'inutile.
Her health fading, Shanawdithit wonders if she’ll be welcomed into the spirit world after so much time with the colonists. Cormack tells her he must leave, and Shanawdithit gives him a sketch of his house to carry with him. He leaves the room to pack. Shanawdithit hears the spirits of her people calling her name. It is time. One spirit in partic...
Shanawdithit describes the last days of her family as they were pushed from their land and then hunted. She asks Cormack not to speak of their death, but of their life. Cormack is ecstatic and gets lost in the memories Shanawdithit paints. She breaks his reverie with the cold fact that the life she speaks of will never happen again. She collapse...
The taking of Demasduit weighs heavy on Shanawdithit’s heart. Cormack, unsure of what to do, tries to comfort her, saying Demasduit was treated well. Shawnadithit asks if white people actually care about her people, her story, because Cormack’s words are betrayed by the actions of his fellows, and indeed, his own. Cormack insists he will ensure ...
Cormack’s study in St. John’s, now Shanawdithit’s room. “Nancy April” reveals she can speak English quite well, and tells Cormack her real name: Shanawdithit. Cormack asks her where the rest of her people are, where her home is. Shanawdithit says simply: they are no more. Shanawdithit reflects on the loss of her people and the taking of her aunt...
A l'étage, Malcolm lit un autre mémo d'Antoine. Beth se précipite pour lui dire qu'il est temps de partir. Andrew et Beth quittent la maison, mais Malcolm reste dans la maison, toujours entouré de violence.
La situation politique se détériore et Andrew et Beth décident d'inviter Antoine, l'ambassadeur, à prendre un verre. La violence éclate dans les rues alors que Malcolm sort dans le jardin. Il revient en tenant le corps d'un enfant.
Beth lit à Andrew une note d'un personnage politique niant le meurtre d'innocents et affirmant que la suspension des libertés civiles est essentielle. Beth et Andrew descendent dîner, où Malcolm leur a préparé un singe vivant.