The Journey So Far…

A new work is created

The Canticle of the Black Madonna: A Soldier’s Journey is the product of a three-year collaboration betwegen composer Ethan Gans-Morse and librettist, poet, author, and artist, Tiziana DellaRovere. In February, 2013 it was premiered as a student/professional collaboration at the University of Oregon and received rave reviews from the audience.

The next step

The Canticle of the Black Madonna: A Soldier’s Journey will have its full professional premiere at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts in August, 2014 produced by Anima Mundi Productions, with additional support from A Rock or Something Productions, a theater company created by and for combat veterans with the stated goal “to promote interaction between the veteran community and the civilian community through writing, stage, film, and music.” This production of The Canticle of the Black Madonna: A Soldier’s Journey will be the main event in conjunction with a series of powerful civic events and service offerings for both the military and civilian communities.

The opportunity

In the coming year, over 50,000 U.S. military personnel are expected to return home from active duty in Afghanistan. Many of these service men and women will have experienced traumatic combat situations directly, and nearly all will face unique challenges transitioning back into civilian life, finding work, and resuming their roles as spouses, parents, and household providers.

In the months leading up to the full professional premiere of The Canticle of the Black Madonna: A Soldier’s Journey in August, 2014, we will be offering a series of powerful events, including public speaking opportunities for returning service men and women and their families, public panels, discussions, and civic forums, art therapy workshops, showings and art installations, social service offerings, combat-related PTSD workshops, and more. This is a rare opportunity to bring together civilians with veterans, policy makers with service providers, community members with professional musicians, artists, and actors, all for a common cause: to provide a safe and welcoming environment for our veterans returning to Oregon.

How you can get involved

In the weeks ahead, we will be announcing more details about how you can get involved and make The Canticle of the Black Madonna: A Soldier’s Journey in Portland an unforgettable, life-changing event. Join us right now by following us on facebook, twitter, and via our email updates.