Press Release

Premiere of With Blood, With Ink

Third Eye Theatre Ensemble Announces Chicago Premiere of Daniel Crozier’s With Blood, With Ink.

October 20th – November 5thSor Juana’s life in nine continuous scenes
Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM, Sundays at 3PM
Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston, Chicago

Chicago–Third Eye Theatre Ensemble presents the Regional Premiere of composer Daniel Crozier’s With Blood With Ink at Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston, October 20th-November 5th as the fall portion of their fourth season. Telling the story of iconic 17th century Mexican poetess and nun, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, With Blood With Ink explores Sor Juana’s life in nine continuous scenes, each of which is framed by textural and musical fragments of the Requiem Mass. Within this musical framework, librettist Peter M. Krask weaves lines of Sor Juana’s actual poetry, creating a compelling, comprehensive work.

Throughout the opera, Dying Juana watches her younger self as she struggles against societal expectations and wrestles with her own faith. Through all the years her memory can embrace, Dying Juana attempts to warn and comfort her younger self, whom she cannot physically reach until the opera’s climactic moment.

The cast includes Rena Ahmed*, Zachary Angus, Samantha Attaguile, Katarina Bakas, Jennifer L. Barrett, Angela Born*, Stan DeCwikiel, Sarah Draffen, Hillary Esqueda, Noah Gartner*, Alfredo Jimenez, Alexandra Kassouf, Lucia Mier, Gisella Milla, and Isabel Velazquez.

Music direction is by Jason Carlson and staging direction by Rose Freeman*. Design staff includes Jimmy Jagos (set), Sarah Collonge (lighting), Meagan Beattie (costumes), Mary Lutz Govertson* (dramaturgy), and Shelby Krarup (stage management).

Third Eye’s fourth season is supported in part by the MacArthur/Driehaus Foundations, and the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation. As part of Third Eye’s mission to advocate for human rights and social justice, Third Eye is partnering with the Dorothy Stang High School for Adults, a bilingual school that provides education for adult Spanish-speaking immigrants, or others who did not have the opportunity to finish high school. For every ticket purchased, Third Eye will donate $1 to this organization.

There are multiple performances this fall, on October 20th, 21st, 22nd, 27th, 28th,29th, November 3rd ,4th, and 5th. Performance times are 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3pm Sundays. Tickets can be purchased at www.thirdeyete.org, and are available for $25 in advance or $30 at the door. For press reservations, email Rena Ahmed at [email protected].

*indicates ensemble member

About Third Eye Theatre Ensemble: Third Eye Theatre Ensemble presents quality productions of new or seldom performed operatic works that inspire conversation while advocating for human rights and social justice.

Third Eye strives to captivate audiences through intimate, black box interpretations that spur the imagination and create conversations that last long after the performance. They firmly believe in their tag line: See. Imagine. Converse.