The  Swann Town Hall  is a community-centered gathering that invites artists, audiences, and collaborators connected to Mabou Mines to engage with the themes and early artistic material from The Swann, a chamber opera currently in development. Inspired by the life of William Dorsey Swann—a formerly enslaved person who became the first self-identified “queen of drag” in the United States—the work explores early forms of Black queer resistance, joy, and self-determination.

The Town Hall supports a congregational conversational environment where call and response informs the evolution of the piece. The event will begin with a screening of the short digital aria originally commissioned by Catapult Opera, followed by a listening session featuring newly recorded selections from the developing score. These excerpts provide an early sonic and narrative window into the opera’s dramaturgy, musical language, and thematic core.

Following the listening session, members of the creative team will engage in a moderated conversation about the genesis of the project—its historical research, artistic intentions, and collaborative process. Audience members will then be invited into the dialogue, sharing reflections, questions, and perspectives that can inform the next stages of development.

This Town Hall format aligns with Mabou Mines’ longstanding commitment to artist-driven experimentation, interdisciplinary performance, and the reimagining of theatrical form. Known for creating bold new works that challenge conventions and elevate underrepresented narratives, Mabou Mines provides an ideal environment for a project like The Swann, which blends operatic storytelling, digital media, and historical inquiry.

The gathering is both a preview and a laboratory: a space where creative material meets community insight. Feedback from this exchange will help guide the continued evolution of the opera—from musical development and narrative structure to future performance formats and audience engagement strategies. Ultimately, the Town Hall reflects the spirit of The Swann itself: a work rooted in history, but animated by contemporary voices, collective imagination, and the belief that storytelling can deepen our understanding of identity, freedom, and cultural memory.

 

Photo credit: Sabrina Santiago

Tamar-kali (Mabou Mines Associate Artist) is an award-winning composer, musician, and performer whose artistic practice extends from alt rock to orchestral and cinematic music with radical depth and emotional precision. Her debut original score for Dee Rees’ Oscar-nominated “Mudbound” was classified by Indiewire as one of the 25 Best Film Scores of the 21st Century. The soundtrack for her score to Josephine Decker’s ‘SHIRLEY’ was named The Guardian’s Contemporary Album of the month. Her original score for history-making cinematographer Rachel Morrison’s directorial debut “The Fire Inside” made 2025’s Oscar Shortlist. She has collaborated with visionaries including Steve McQueen, Bill T. Jones and Julie Dash. As a performer, her work has graced world-class stages. Commissioned works include the song cycle Melancholy Ghosts and Other Mothers for Beth Morrison Projects, the LA Opera digital short “We Hold These Truths” directed by Peabody award winner dream hampton, and a solo cello work, Little Bear Awakens for acclaimed cellist Matt Haimovitz. 2026 will herald new works for multidisciplinary artist and cellist Jeff Ziegler as well as a vocal and quartet piece for Grammy award-winning soprano Karen Slack and Miro Quartet.