The University of Oklahoma is set to present Benjamin Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw” at the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center on Oct. 16-19, 2025.

The production is directed by OU professors Jonathan Shames and Nicole Kenley-Miller. The opera will feature Ilhee Lee (Oct. 16 & 18) and Nicholas Hausman (Oct. 17 & 19) as Prologue/Peter Quint; Rachel Gilliam (Oct. 16 & 18) and Gabrielle Salomon (Oct. 17 & 19) as the Governess; Carlie Pool (Oct. 16 & 18) and Madigan Glenn (Oct. 17 & 19) as Miles; Katelyn Cruse (Oct. 16 & 18) and Julia Hillis (Oct. 17 & 19) as Flora; Gabriela Gonzalez (Oct. 16 & 18) and Kona Davenport (Oct. 17 & 19) as Mrs. Grose; and Katherine Kimbrough (Oct. 16 & 18) and Elena McKenna (Oct. 17 & 19) as Miss Jessel.

The story follows a governess hired to care for two children at an English country estate. As she suspects the children are influenced by forces from their past, the narrative shifts from a ghost story to an examination of the consequences of exploitation and silence.

To aid the student performers in navigating the opera’s subject matter, Kenley-Miller invited Anna Adkins, operations director at Abbott House Child Advocacy Center in Norman, to speak with the cast. Abbott House provides supportive services for children and families, and Adkins emphasized the importance of creating safe spaces for children to share their stories.

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