Carmen
by Georges Bizet
Conceived and directed by Maria Todaro

The story of Carmen is timeless. Director Maria Todaro’s version is set during Franco’s reign in 1937 Spain, a period rife with distrust and violence, and the narrative’s stakes escalate dramatically. While adhering faithfully to the libretto, this version presents Carmen and her band of Gypsies as courageous freedom fighters. The female Gypsies who fought during Franco’s regime were part of the first organized army of women known to history. The exotic life of the Gypsy as depicted in Carmen reflects the political unrest of 19th century Spain and its struggles with race, social class and gender. Carmen, a femme fatale who works in a Seville cigarette factory, loves who she wants, when she wants, and she refuses to compromise.

Carmen encounters her male counterpart in Escamillo, who transcends his role as a bullfighter by covertly aiding the cause of liberation while honoring the vibrant and passionate essence of Spain. Conversely, Don José, bound by familial ties and engaged to the virtuous Micaëla, epitomizes toxic masculinity. His consuming jealousy leads to the ruin of all he holds dear. Seduced by Carmen’s fierce independence and exotic charm, he abandons his principles and spirals into dishonor and imprisonment. Upon release, he succumbs once more to his obsession with Carmen, but their fleeting happiness is doomed. Not even the pleas of his devoted fiancée, Micaëla, or his ailing mother can dissuade him from Carmen’s allure. He returns from his mother’s deathbed too late to witness Carmen’s public declaration of love for Escamillo at the bullring, his vow to reclaim her unheeded. Their final confrontation crystallizes the core conflict: Carmen has discarded Don José, asserting her autonomy, while José, ensnared by possessiveness, reacts predictably. The denouement promises an astonishing resolution in a story that has captivated artists and audiences for almost 150 years.

Carmen will be performed in French with English- and Spanish-projected translations.