The Fall of the House of Usher2022-05-23T16:06:08-04:00

The Fall of the House of Usher

An Opera in Two Acts by Philip Glass
Libretto by Arthur Yorinks
Based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe
1988 © Dunvagen Music Publishers. Used by Permission.
Sung in English with English captions available.

Boston Lyric Opera gives an arthouse cinematic treatment to Philip Glass’ opera The Fall of the House of Usher, now streaming exclusively on BLO’s operabox.tv. This chilling film places Edgar Allan Poe’s iconic gothic horror story in the imagination of a migrant child as she journeys into the United States. Experience the world of the Ushers through her eyes, as she reaches for the promise of the American Dream. Music comes to life through hand-drawn animation, stop-motion film, and archival footage, featuring a brand-new recording by BLO artists.
Learn more about Edgar Allan Poe’s story, Phillip Glass’ opera, and BLO’s brand new film through our virtual reading room experience, Into the House of Usher.

Press Release

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER BOSTON LYRIC OPERA RELEASES A GRIPPING NEW CINEMATIC VISION OF THE PHILIP GLASS OPERA BASED ON EDGAR ALLAN POE’S GOTHIC HORROR STORY

This synopsis represents three interwoven stories – Poe’s original story; the story of Luna, a young girl from Guatemala City; and references of an American story shown through archival images. These pieces frame the original opera libretto.

Please note this synopsis contains spoilers for the film experience.

Luna, a young girl, is watching television at home in Guatemala City when her mother receives a phone call. They flee violence. Simultaneously, William rushes to the home of his boyhood friend, Roderick Usher, who has sent him a letter begging him to visit. Roderick and his sister, Madeline, are the last left of the Usher family, and Madeline is mysteriously ill. Upon entering the gloomy home, William meets a physician, who warns him not to upset the household. Meanwhile, archival television footage juxtaposes idyllic images of American family life, with that of children in detention centers, like the one where we see Luna again.

Luna stumbles across an abandoned dollhouse. We learn that the Ushers’ story is taking place within that dollhouse and Luna’s imagination. Roderick, pale and drawn, greets William, but when William gives him a music box as a gift, Roderick recoils from its sound. His nerves are overwrought from caring for Madeline, and he says that he cannot leave the house. Archival footage shows images of life in the United States. Outside the House of Usher, a storm rages. William observes Roderick brushing Madeline’s hair and is unnerved. He tries to sleep, but is awakened by troubling dreams of Roderick and Madeline.

Luna stares out the window at the other children in the detention yard. Images describe dancing, joyful gatherings, and birds flying free, which soon are replaced by news reports showing crowds of migrant families. Madeline has died, as has Luna’s pet chick. In the dollhouse, Madeline’s death casts a shadow over the House of Usher. William helps Roderick carry Madeline’s coffin down to the tomb under the house. Roderick reveals that he and Madeline were twins. He becomes agitated, and William tries to soothe him. Luna climbs into a ditch in the detention yard.

Luna is carried inside and handcuffed. A flashback depicts Luna and her mother crossing into the United States. William and Roderick hear frightening noises, and a window blows open. Madeline suddenly appears. A swarm of birds materialize, and the detention center falls to pieces.

Creative Team

David Angus

Conductor

James Darrah

Director

Raúl Santos

Screenwriter

Yuki Izumihara

Production Designer

Pablo Santiago

Director of Photography

Camille Assaf

Costume and Doll Designer

Yee Eun Nam

Art Director / Lead Designer (Luna)

Will Kim

Lead Animator (Luna)

Rodrigo Muñoz

Lead Illustrator / Character Designer (Luna)

Jian Lee

Character Animator (Luna)

Cast

Chelsea Basler

Madeline Usher

Jesse Darden

Roderick Usher

Daniel Belcher

William

Christon Carney

Physician

Jorgeandrés Camargo

Servant

With Special Appearance By:

Sheila Vand

Into the House of Usher: BLO’s Virtual Reading Room

BLO invites you Into the House of Usher to explore and learn about Edgar Allan Poe’s story, Phillip Glass’ opera, and BLO’s brand new film. Engage where history and present day meet in this virtual reading room, and even add your own creative brilliance by contributing to our community short story. Can you discover all the mysteries this house has to tell?

Virtual Stages: Learning to Engage in a Pandemic

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world as we knew it. New guidelines for public life were put in place, impacting every corner of our society. Doors closed, programs were canceled, gatherings were banned, and the arts sector was all but decimated. We found ourselves pondering: how can the arts survive if we are not allowed to perform, and our audience is not permitted to watch?Yet, seemingly overnight, a virtual world rapidly developed and became the new normal. Companies, artists, and everyone really, dove headfirst into cyberspace and started innovating. Suddenly, our daily activities became available online, including work, [...]

By |May 14th, 2021|Categories: Fall of the House of Usher, Usher|Comments Off on Virtual Stages: Learning to Engage in a Pandemic

The Fall of the House of Usher & Uncanny Truths of American Identity

Rumor has it that Edgar Allan Poe modeled the House of Usher on a dwelling in Boston with a gruesome secret. The Tremont Street home of eighteenth-century bookseller Hezekiah Usher (located just a few blocks from the house where Poe was born, in 1809) was demolished in 1830, and two bodies were said to have been discovered in the basement, locked in a ghastly embrace. But that is just a rumor. The precise origins of Poe’s celebrated story remain elusive – like so many elements of the work itself. “The Fall of the House of Usher” is shrouded in uncertainty. [...]

By |January 25th, 2021|Categories: Fall of the House of Usher, Usher|Comments Off on The Fall of the House of Usher & Uncanny Truths of American Identity

The Reviews are In!

“[An] arresting stop-motion film.” – The New Yorker 

“…[BLO’s] most ambitious and spectacular project of the season” – The Boston Globe

“The striking visual components embrace the opera’s ambiguity and nightmarish ambiance.” – The Wall Street Journal

“Amazing hand-drawn and stop-motion footage.”​ – Cinema Junkie/KPBS 

“The crushing forces of the pandemic, shaped by the news media, sculpt this film into something like a diamond. Beautiful, though with cutting edges.” – WBUR/The Artery

Images: operabox.tv/Boston Lyric Opera

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