Opus

Playwright, Villanova University Professor and sometime-violist Michael Hollinger, says of his 2006 play which has had already more than 30 productions:

Most people work in some combination of small groups, even if they’re part of a huge corporation. I think people respond immediately to the idea that we’re trying to accomplish something, and we need to get past, over, through the idiosyncrasies of our individual temperaments.

..... Leadership has to be in flux. That can be thrilling, or disorienting. I love an environment of equals trying to work something out together. Because of this, I sometimes get in trouble in my university life, where hierarchy and seniority are particularly valued.

..... On a deeper level, I think the play is about legacy and the value of the work you leave behind. Because it’s ephemeral, performance of any kind is a good, poignant metaphor of our temporary natures as living things. Just as the note dies, we do, too. Therefore, the question becomes: What do we make of it when it’s passing through us, and what resonates after it’s gone? The play strives to hint at this without beating the audience over the head.

What a treat it was to see it yesterday with a couple of old sailing buddies!