Opus Press Reviews
'Opus' makes a string quartet riveting
- Reviewed by Jim Lowe
- Reviewed for The Times Argus
- Reviewed on October 9th, 2009
BURLINGTON - When audiences watch a string quartet on stage, performing with the ultimate intimacy found in music, few imagine the soap opera it takes to get to that sublime moment - full of turmoil, drudgery, egos, and even sex and drugs. Mark Hollinger's 2006 drama, "Opus," tells the story of a fictional string quartet in turmoil, and not only does he get it right, he tells the tale so directly that it can fascinate someone who has never even heard a string quartet.
Vermont Stage Company, the Flynn Center's resident professional theater company, opened its 2009-2010 season with a riveting production that packs a wallop. There is scarcely a less-than-fascinating moment in this very even production, full of the humor and drama of music-making - and life...
Review: Vermont Stage Company's 'Opus'
- Reviewed by Brent Hallenbeck
- Reviewed for The Burlington Free Press
- Reviewed on October 9th, 2009
A theater company can start its season with something light and fluffy, just to clear the throat a little to gear up for the more serious stuff down the road. Or it can dive right in, tackling something so rich that it sets the tone for a promising season to come.
Fortunately, Vermont Stage chose the latter route with "Opus," the play by Michael Hollinger that opens the company's 10th season at FlynnSpace and 16th season overall. Oct. 8's performance demonstrated that "Opus" is funny and searing, classy and bawdy, soothing and shocking, just the kind of one-two punch that makes for a memorable night of theater. The five-member cast, like the well-tuned chamber group it portrays, barely misses a note - not an easy thing in a play that, also like a well-tuned chamber group, is all about precise timing...
Theatre Review: "OPUS" at Vermont Stage
- Reviewed by Connie Meng
- Reviewed for North Country Public Radio
- Reviewed on October 9th, 2009
Vermont Stage Company in Burlington has opened their season with a terrific production of Michael Hollinger's play OPUS. Mr.Hollinger, a violinist turned playwright, has written an insightful play about the tensions and conflicts among the members of a world-class string quartet. As they prepare for a concert at the White House, they must also deal with replacing one of their founding members, who has dropped out and disappeared.
Jenny C. Fulton has created a simple set consisting of four black chairs, four black collapsible music stands, a couple of vases of flowers and a wonderful backdrop of music manuscript, beautifully painted by Jeffrey Modereger. Her costumes are simple and appropriate...
Strings Attached
- Reviewed by Elisabeth Crean
- Reviewed for Seven Days
- Reviewed on October 14th, 2009
Many of us can say that music is one of the greatest joys in life, whether we prefer hip-hop or opera. But pursuing music professionally can be a grueling path. Classical musicians begin training as children. The few who have enough talent and grit to make it as pros face a lifetime of relentless rehearsal, travel and performance. These demands sometimes sap the passion that inspired the initial pursuit.
Playwright Michael Hollinger. knows this life intimately. Shortly after getting his BA in viola performance from the Oberlin Conservatory, he abruptly switched careers. He quit the viola and started writing for the theater. Opus (2006), his one-act play about a string quartet in crisis, resonates with an insider's affectionate yet unsparing perspective on the high-strung world of classical music. The show's New England premiere, with the Vermont Stage Company, features sophisticated production design and a stellar cast...