When Mozart wrote the opera “Don Giovanni” in 1788 with Italian librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, he imagined a swashbuckling seducer who treated women as disposable and faced no consequences. Cerise Jacobs and the team at White Snake Projects have a different viewpoint. The ladies take the reigns (and the riding crop) in their reimagined opera “Domme & Giovanni.”
“For centuries, women have been portrayed as either unmitigated snakes and seductresses or sort of these angelic, rather weak and submissive women. And in any event, they’re always killed,” says Jacobs, the Founding Artistic Director of White Snake Projects. “If opera is going to survive in the 21st century and beyond, it needs to tell new stories.”
In this new iteration, Anna, previously one of Don Giovanni’s victims, is a powerful dominatrix intent on getting revenge on Giovanni for the murder of her father. Elvira, another victim in the original production, has been re-fashioned as an FBI agent working with Anna to bring the murderer down.
Music lovers can still enjoy Mozart’s classic score, though it will be performed in this iteration by a rock band with an electric guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums. The melodies will remain recognizable, just modernized to keep up with the new story.
“Domme & Giovanni” is part of White Snake Projects’ “Opera Through the Looking Glass“ series. The series takes classic (often misogynistic) shows and reinterprets them for the modern age. It’s a way to pay homage to beautiful scores and historically significant composers while getting justice for marginalized characters and performers.
“Opera Through the Looking Glass” is also staged in unique settings. “Don Giovanni” will be performed at La Voile in Brookline, where diners can enjoy French wines and cuisine as the actors move throughout the restaurant interacting with them.
“I’ve always loved the idea of marrying food, drink, music, and conviviality,” says Jacobs. “People can eat and drink and laugh and have a festive atmosphere to enjoy a dark farcical comedy.”
“Domme & Giovanni” runs at La Voile for two performances only on May 5 and 6. The cast stars Carami Hilaire as Donna Anna, Pascale Spinney as Donna Elvira, Kyle Oliver as Leporello, and Andrew Simpson as Don Giovanni.
In addition to enjoying a more contemporary version of the story, Jacobs hopes this production disrupts preconceived notions about opera.
“Opera can tell stories that make audiences laugh. It’s not always about death and tragedy,” says Jacobs. “I want them to see that it is possible to take all retrograde material, repurpose it, and come up with something new, fun, and entertaining.“
