The Joining is a speculative fiction opera that imagines a world split in two: the Underland, a struggling subterranean society, and the Overland, a prosperous civilization above. When famine threatens the Underland, Frem-a technician and inventor-must journey to the Overland for the first time in generations to seek aid. Frem brings with them Tachlis, a golem, an artificial being made of clay, whose presence sparks curiosity and unease among the Overlanders.
As Frem navigates this unfamiliar world, the opera explores how technology, embodied by the golem, can be both a tool of survival and a mechanism of control. Drawing from Jewish folklore, The Joining uses the myth of the golem to reflect on our modern relationship with technology, how it can empower us, but also how it can be used to exploit, oppress, and dehumanize.
This workshop concert presents a semi-staged version of the opera. Audience members are invited to participate in shaping the future of the work by offering feedback through a questionnaire, a live feedback session, or during the post-show reception.
