Kicking off our Eastman Opera Theatre (EOT) season on November 3-6, is Lear on the 2^nd Floor (2013) – an opera inspired by Shakespeare’s King Lear, with music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Anthony Davis and libretto by Allan Havis. Directed by Steven Daigle and conducted by Timothy Long, the opera will take place in Kilbourn Hall at Eastman School of Music. Lear on the 2^nd Floor centers on Dr. Nora Lear's struggle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and family dysfunction.

The opera is comprised of vignettes – fragmented to mimic the experience of having Alzheimer’s – tracking the period from Nora’s diagnosis to a breakdown over the loss of control in her own life to an eventual surrender to what she has become.

Lear on the 2^nd Floor runs for 90 minutes with no intermission. It is double-cast and includes improvisational elements that make each performance different from the last.

Performances are scheduled for November 3-6, 2022:

November 3, 4 & 5: 7:30 PM

November 6: 2:00 P 

Tickets are $20 for general admission and can be purchased at the Eastman Theatre Box Office, 433 East Main St., or at eastmantheatre.org

Full press release can be found online. Select interviews and additional photos available upon request.