Grace Jordan, arts & living editor 

Berry College is home to numerous musically talented groups and individuals. One musical group on campus, Berry College Opera and Musical Theatre Workshop recently performed a one act, 40-minute opera. Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert composed the opera, “Trial by Jury.” The comedy opera tells the story of a formerly engaged woman, Angelina who is suing her ex-fiancé, Edwin because he broke off the engagement as he was in love with someone else. The opera was a ticketed event performed Thursday, Friday and Sunday. 

The opera has been in the works since last spring when auditions began. Over the summer students were expected to memorize their parts and upon coming back in the fall the performers had class every Tuesday and Thursday where they would review the music for the opera. Junior Leeanna Allen is a vocal performance major and played Angelina, the Plaintiff in the opera. 

“We were expected to learn our parts over the summer by ourselves and come to school already knowing everything and being ready,” Allen said. “We spent all semester going through piece by piece and putting all the music together. There are 14 pieces.” 

After fall semester, the performers had only gone through the opera and learned how to sing together. However, they had not made it onto the stage yet. Sophomore Sydney Godfrey is a music performance major and had to arrive for her spring semester five days before most Berry students to practice on stage. 

“It was really stressful,” Godfrey said. “We didn’t have the full set so we were working with what we had and we had gotten back to campus early, on the fifth. Rehearsals were 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. We were writing in all our blocking and we were trying to get off book for everything.” 

While the rehearsals were fast-paced and stressful, according to Godfrey, the bond between the performers was strong. The connection between the students created an environment where all voices were heard. 

“It’s like a big family,” Godfrey said. “Spending that much time together, getting ready, going to lunch, going through hours of rehearsal, you really get close. We all support and love each other. We love to see each other grow, especially in the opera. Whenever anybody makes a mistake it’s a very easy environment to prosper in, instead of being beaten down. It’s really great.” 

“Trial by Jury” is not what one might consider a traditional opera. According to Allen, most operas are more somber and rely heavily on plot. However, Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Trial by Jury” is meant to create fun and laughter. 

“The show is so funny,” Allen said. “Gilbert and Sullivan are who wrote this piece and they were big in England for their comedy pieces. They were one of the first groups to be like, we’re going to make something totally outrageous. Usually, opera is very melodramatic and has these big, long, drawn-out plots. In this, the plot doesn’t really matter it’s just funny.” 

Allen plays Angelina, the plaintiff, who is suing her fiancé. At first, Allen’s character tries to make the jury feel bad for her. As time goes on, it is revealed she was only interested in the marriage for money. This is paralleled with the judge, who married into money and then divorced his wife after getting what he wanted. 

“The opera is made up of stuff that there’s no point in explaining because it doesn’t make any sense,” Allen said. “It’s just outrageously comical, but I think that’s what makes it really fun. All of the characters are really fun to explore and get into because these [characters] are stupid and crazy. It’s a lot of fun to play around with.” 

According to Allen, the performances over the weekend went well, with those in attendance loving the show and the performers having fun. 

“It was really good,” Allen said. “Everybody said that they really enjoyed it and I know that we had a lot of fun. We always have a lot of fun doing the show and when you have an audience, finally, there’s just such a different energy in the air.” 

Berry College Opera and Musical Theatre Workshop does not plan on having any more big performances like “Trial by Jury,” but does plan on having smaller showcases throughout the rest of the semester.