Paige Sheffield, Staff Writer
Photos by Amanda Land
The music department at Shorter University (Shorter) took on the challenge of performing the full opera production of Hansel and Gretel. Hansel and Gretel is a fable written by the Grimm brothers and composed into an opera by Engelbert Humperdinck. The story is of two children who get lost in the woods and happen upon a house made of gingerbread and sweets. But the owner is an evil witch who captures children like Hansel and Gretel and turns them into gingerbread children to eat. However, Hansel and Gretel manage to escape, kill the witch, and happily return home.
The opera ran from March 19-22 in the Callaway Theater, and many students were able to showcase their talents through the production. Senior liberal arts major, Rique Martinez performed the role of the angel in Hansel and Gretel. The angel danced around the children and animals as they slept to bring peace and protection from the dark woods.
Martinez choreographed the dance with the assistance of Shorter’s Director of Dance, Shell Benjamin, but much of the routine was improvisation. Through this dance, Martinez was able to share his personal ministry with the audiences.
“I had to do a lot of preparing internally… so I could be an empty vessel for God to use me,” Martinez said.
Martinez used the verse Matthew 11:28 as the inspiration for his dance routine. The verse says, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” This verse fit with the scene from Hansel and Gretel that Martinez appeared in because the children were trying to sleep in the woods and were frightened. The angel (Martinez) came to them and gave them the rest they sought by using simple but powerful movements.
“Dance is a universal language and when you minister or do any type of movement you want people to understand. In simplicity you find depth,” Martinez said.
Brandon Weise, a senior interdisciplinary studies major, showcased his talents offstage by assisting with building the set and operating light and sound cues. Weise enjoys working behind the scenes and bringing the opera production together with visual and audio effects.
“I like making things work and trying to figure out how things come together,” Weise said.
One important way Weise assisted with the production was by supplying sound cues to the instrumentalists and performers so the entire cast stayed in sync.
There were many performers who brought their own flare to the characters they embodied and used their own friendships and personalities to bring the production to life. A few of the performers included Ashley Phillips and Katelyn Johnson as Gretel, Hannah Swope and Mary Saintfort as Hansel, and Victoria Henson as the evil witch.
Hansel and Gretel was an abundant source of talent and skill from the musicians, dancers, and stagehands alike, and each individual contributed to the overall success of the production.
