In a once-in-a-lifetime event, Third Angle will produce composer Philip Glass’ rarely performed one-act sci-fi melodrama 1000 Airplanes on the Roof beneath the towering tail of the Spruce Goose, commemorating the 75th anniversary of its lone 26-second flight. Ithica Tell leads as the sole character, “M,” who recalls encounters with extraterrestrial life, grappling with her own sanity. The performance will take place at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, home of the Hughes H-4 Hercules, commonly known as the Spruce Goose, an enormous flying wooden boat with a 320’ wingspan. The performance begins promptly at 8:00pm on May 20th and 21st and runs approximately 90 minutes without intermission. “Ticket upgrades” are also available which allow audience members to explore the museum after hours, enjoy pre-show food and drinks, tour the inside of the Spruce Goose, and reserve priority seating for the show. Pre-show activities begin at 6:30PM.
Artistic Director Sarah Tiedemnn writes, “The synths, the immensity of the Spruce Goose, the alien abduction story, Ithica’s powerful stage presence—it’s euphoria, a hangar full of endorphins. These nights will affect people down to a cellular level. I hope our audience members leave their expectations at the door; in fact, I hope they leave their minds at the door and let the experience take over.”
Ithica Tell last appeared with Third Angle in 2021 for their production of Darrell Grant’s chamber opera, Sanctuaries. Tell’s recent critically acclaimed performances with Portland Center Stage include Mrs. Alexander in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and her role as Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
Composed in 1989, Philip Glass called his 1000 Airplanes on the Roof a “science fiction music drama.” The score calls for a small orchestra of winds, electronic wind instruments, synthesizers, and a soprano vocalist which will be led by conductor Nikolas Caoile. The text, written by David Henry Hwang, is set in NYC and told by narrator “M,”(Ithica Tell) who recounts surreal encounters with extraterrestrial life, recalling the message: “It is better to forget. It is pointless to remember. No one will believe you. You will have spoken a heresy. You will be outcast.” The audience is posed the question: are these visions an accurate recollection of an abduction, part of a drug-induced nightmare, or the beginning of a mental breakdown?
Third Angle’s 22/23 season has explored the human mind and sought to destigmatize mental illness. M’s psychosis mirrors the life of billionaire industrialist Howard Hughes, the architect of the Spruce Goose, who was afflicted with his own mental health struggles. Hughes lived with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, and later in life he became increasingly reclusive as his condition worsened and he suffered from drug addiction.
Reserve your seats today at thirdangle.org.
Note to Journalists: Artistic Director Sarah Tiedemann and Executive Director Carissa Burkett, and Actor Ithica Tell are available for print, online, and broadcast interviews. If you would like more information on our season or would like to schedule an interview, please contact will@thirdangle.org or 503-331-0301.
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DATE & TIME: SAT, SUN, MAY 20-21, 2023 / 8:00pm
TICKET PRICE $25-60
FOR MORE INFO: https://www.thirdangle.org/1000-airplanes
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Philip Glass, composer
David Henry Hwang, librettist
Ithica Tell, actor
Joellen Sweeney, understudy
Nikolas Caoile, conductor
Arwyn Meyers, soprano
Sarah Tiedemann, flute, piccolo, EWI
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Web: thirdangle.org
Media Contact: Will Pyle
Email: will@thirdangle.org
Phone: 503-331-0301
John Nastos, flute, soprano sax, EWI
Sean Fredenburg, soprano sax, tenor sax
Maria Garcia, synthesizers
Yoko Greeney, synthesizers
ABOUT THE EVERGREEN AVIATION & SPACE MUSEUM
MISSION
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is a force of curiosity and courage for kids of all ages to gain the confidence to take flight.
More at https://www.evergreenmuseum.org/about/
ABOUT THIRD ANGLE NEW MUSIC
Third Angle’s mission is to perform and record the masterworks of the twenty-first century while commissioning new works from regional and nationally recognized composers.
Since its founding in 1985, Third Angle has created and presented more than 200 events, commissioned more than 90 new works, and released 15 recordings to critical acclaim. Sound of the Five: the chamber music of Chen Yi, was named a top 10 recording for 2009 by National Public Radio.
Third Angle’s roguish programming crafts experiences that are mind-altering by design, including concerts created to work in harmony or dissonance with their environment, wildly divergent repertoire, and a blending of the arts that redefines the genre.
At a Third Angle performance, you never know quite what will happen next.