Thompson Street Opera will present a unique double bill this October at Bramble Arts Loft in Chicago.

Starting on Oct. 3, the company will present “The Day the Dogs Began to Talk” and “The People vs. American Cheese.”

The former features music and text by Dick Turner and is directed by Ross Matsuda. The opera stars Timothy Bostwick, Jordy Betancourt, Elizabeth Fisher, Halle Rosemond, and Ariel Andrew.

The latter piece by Clare Fuyuko Bierman and Durra Leung will be directed by Claire DiVizio. Amanda Payne, Jeannette Lee, Elizabeth Vaughan, Ariel Andrew, and Alexander Quackebush star.

“[‘The People vs. American Cheese’] is a very queer, very absurd opera, tying American cheese to heteronormativity, with a satirical lens only possible outside the canon,” said composer Leung in an email to OperWire. “Importantly, it’s also a piece by two Asian writers, adding a perspective still too rare in contemporary opera.”

There will be a cover performance on Oct. 9 starring Lucas Gassmann, Halle Rosemond, and Alex Quackenbush for “The Day the Dogs Began to Talk” and Elizabeth Vaughan in “The People vs. American Cheese.” The production runs through Oct. 11.

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