American Lyric Theater will present its annual Living Libretto showcase on December 14, 2025 at 2 p.m. at Open Jar Studios at 1601 Broadway.

The showcase will offer first readings of two new one-act operas written by Resident Artists in the Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP).

First up, “Fourth Wave Beauty Queens,” by composer Kathleen Tagg and librettist Laura Barati, follows Délia, a feminist academic researching extreme beauty treatments, and her mother, Flora, as they confront the temptations of experimental anti-aging and weight-loss prototypes. The opera examines mother-daughter dynamics, conflicting desires, and the pressures of living within the female gaze.

Then comes “The Shadow” by composer Ivette Herryman Rodriguez and librettist Samuel Norman. This work adapts Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of a man whose shadow detaches itself and later returns to destabilize his sense of identity. The opera explores themes of selfhood, illusion, and the power of storytelling.

Both operas began as short Etudes created during the resident artists’ first year in the CLDP and were first presented as part of “Opera in Eden.” The works were expanded into full operas after showing strong originality and dramatic potential.

The December event follows a series of Libretto Workshops in which actors read each libretto and the writers refine structure and characterization. Professional actors will perform the readings during the showcase, and each reading will be followed by a discussion with the composers and librettists. ALT Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson will moderate the conversations.

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