A New Baroque Musical Monodrama Premiers at Muncie Civic Theatre

A free workshop performance of Those Killing Feares, a newly devised musical monodrama will be presented at Muncie Civic Theatre, 216 E. Main Street in Muncie, IN on Sunday, June 29, 2008 at 7:00pm. Admission is free, but donations are welcome to help "Save the Civic". For more information contact Julie Lyn Barber at 765-468-6153.

The production utilizes vocal music by the Baroque era English songwriter, Henry Purcell and dramatized selections from the three volume 17th century novel, Love-Letters Between a Noble Man and His Sister, by female author, Aphra Behn. The story centers on "Cynthia," the abandoned victim of a seducer and political traitor (her brother-in-law), now in hiding. Through Purcell's music and the contents of her letters, we learn the history of her relationship, her current situation, and her lover's fate as well as her own. The presentation is being developed for future presentation at Early Music Festivals and Chamber Music SeriesÎ. The audience will have the opportunity to offer feedback and discuss the performance with the performers immediately following the show.

Julie Lyn Barber, soprano, performs the role of "Cynthia." She holds a Masters degree in Opera and Music Theatre and is gaining recognition as an Early Music Specialist. She recently served as stage director for the Bloomington Early Music Festival's educational opera, Inside Scarlatti's 'Tigrane.' and last year, for Early Music Muncie's inaugural production of Dido and Aeneas. In 2004, she was the recipient of an Astral Career Grant from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts to attend the prestigious Vancouver Early Music Festival's Baroque Vocal Workshop where she studied with Ellen Hargis. This year she was a finalist in the Bel Canto Regional Artist Competition where she earned praise for her pure tone and flexible upper range. Amy Riffle-Kouyeas, pianist, will accompany. Amy teaches piano at Arts Place in Portland, IN. She has a Master of Music degree in piano performance and piano pedagogy from West Virginia University. Amy also works part time at Taylor University and Ball State University as an accompanist and has served as pianist and music director for a number of theatrical productions. She is the musical director at First Presbyterian Church in Hartford City.

Henry Purcell (1659-1695) was the foremost composer of his day. He was organist at Westminster and wrote much music for theatrical performances in the newly developed concert scene in Restoration London. From 1690-1695 he wrote music for more than forty plays.

Aphra Behn (1640-1689) was one of the first professional female authors in England. She had worked for King Charles II as a spy during the Second Dutch War and endured debtor's prison before becoming a successful author of poetry, plays and novels. Her poetry made her famous in her time and only John DrydenÎs plays were produced more often. The source material for this production comes from her three volumes, Love-Letters Between a Noble-Man and his Sister (1684)), Love Letters From a Noble Man to his Sister (1685), and The Amours of Philander and Silvia (1687).


For more information, contact Julie Lyn Barber at 765-468-6153.

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