This summer, Heartbeat Opera makes history at Williamstown Theatre Festival—bringing not only VANESSA, but the very first opera ever to the Berkshires’ theater festival.

Director R.B. Schlather offers a behind-the-scenes peek at what’s in store for VANESSA—plus some advice for anyone who’s not sure opera is their thing.

Learn more about VANESSA here.

q: What was your first reaction when you revisited Vanessa—what stood out, what haunted you?

Schlather: Revisiting the work, I was struck by the cyclical quality of it. These characters feel suspended in some kind of emotional isolation, replaying cycles over and over again. They are dealing with existential ideas about who they are, what their destinies are, what to do with the material of their pasts, how to face their futures. They feel like people out of Greek Drama, completely tragic, pathetic, and poetic. I’m haunted by the atmosphere of the piece, it feels eerie, stark, seductive, repressive, and also raw and brutal. It’s not a dusty period piece. It really pulls you in, grips you, gets under your skin.

q: What is Vanessa really about, at its core?

Schlather: I think the piece is really about cycles, illusions (or delusions), solitude, isolation. These qualities make it feel so modern and understandable. I’m particularly interested in what gets inherited, especially from woman to woman: trauma, silence, expectations. It’s not about the past, it’s about patterns. It exists out of time. That’s what elevates it for me to something mythic, tragic, monumental.

Q: How do you think Vanessa speaks to contemporary audiences, especially younger ones?

Schlather: I think young people are so versed in psychology, in family dynamics, in naming emotional patterns. I think they will immediately recognize what’s going on in this story. This opera might be 60+ years old, but the emotional architecture is very now. It’s so accessible, and honestly relatable. Also Barber’s music is so cinematic, so sweeping, it doesn’t hold you at arm’s length like some older operas. And in our chamber setting, I think it will be like sitting inside a movie version of someone’s memory. Intimate, haunting, unsettling!

Q: You once told The New York Times, “[Opera] isn’t for everyone, but it can be for anyone.” Now you’re directing with Heartbeat Opera, a company that’s all about breaking boundaries and opening opera up to new audiences.

How does that shared mission influence your vision for Vanessa?

Schlather: For me opera is about an essential combination of music, text and physicality. And it’s about trying to get people to see the humanity of these characters, and be thrilled by the artistry of these musicians. I think HB is similarly trying to invite people in to opera. We’re doing VANESSA with no intermission, reduced orchestration, and a tight, focused cast —which means the emotional impact is immediate. There’s no hiding in this version. It’s up close, raw, stripped of excess. And I think that’s going to make it very exciting, fresh, unusual. It’s people, it’s music, it’s story. If you think opera isn’t for you, this version of VANESSA might change your mind!

q: What would you say to someone who thinks opera is elitist or closed off?

Schlather: I’d say they should just come and check this out. You don’t need to know anything about opera. Just come with an open mind. This is opera up close. It’s intimate. It’s powerful. And it’s probably not what you think opera is.

Performances of Heartbeat Opera’s VANESSA at The Annex from July 17 - August 3. For tickets, click here.