Works & Process at the Guggenheim presents Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: This House by Ricky Ian Gordon, Lynn Nottage, and Ruby Aiyo Gerber.

See excerpts of the new opera This House-by composer Ricky Ian Gordon, with a libretto by Pulitzer Prize–winner Lynn Nottage and her daughter Ruby Aiyo Gerber-prior to the world premiere at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in May and June 2025. Gordon, Nottage, and Gerber will participate in a moderated discussion and excerpts will be performed by artists including two originating cast members: mezzo-soprano Briana Hunter and baritone Christian Pursell.

A house is more than four walls and a roof; it is a keeper of memories and a witness to legacy. In This House, Zoe Walker returns home after many years away, to the Harlem brownstone her family has lived in since the 1920s. There, she asks her mother, Ida, and her brother, Lindon, to let her renovate the dilapidated building-but Ida and Lindon cannot let go of the past. The house is their whole world, and every room is full of ghostly voices and painful memories. As hidden truths about the family’s legacy come to light, Zoe begins to realize that the secrets harbored within these walls are deeper and more profound than she ever dared to imagine.

Spring 2025 Opera Series made possible by Eugene and Jean Stark.

Works & Process Lead Donors

Lead funding provided by Adam and Abigail Flatto, Ford Foundation, Bart Friedman and Wendy Stein, Howard Gilman Foundation, Christian Humann Foundation, Leon Levy Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Stephen Kroll Reidy, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Caroline M. Sharp, The Evelyn Sharp Foundation, Eugene and Jean Stark, and Anonymous.

Additional support provided by Jody and John Arnhold, Jeff and Susan Campbell, Cate Caruso, Stuart H. Coleman and Meryl Rosofsky, Duke Dang and Charles E. Rosen, Lucy and Philip Dobrin, Elizabeth Sharp Edens and Wes Edens, The Fanwood Foundation, Agnes Gund, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, Denise and Andrew Saul, Randall Sharp, and the Simian Foundation.

Works & Process is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

This House Lead Donors

Leadership support for This House comes from Noémi Neidorff and the Whitaker Foundation. This House is made possible in part by the Fred M. Saigh Endowment at Opera Theatre. Daniela Candillari’s engagement is made possible with generous support from Kim & Tim Eberlein. This House is funded in part by The Amphion Foundation, Inc.

Date: April 6, 2025

Time: 7pm

Location: Peter B. Lewis Theater, 1071 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10128

Tickets: Start at $25 and can be purchased at https://www.worksandprocess.org/calendar/works-and-process-at-the-guggenheim-otsl-this-house.

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