White Snake Projects is set to return to The Strand Theatre for the world premiere of “To The People Like Us.”

The premiere is set to be held on June  28, 2025, and will mark the company’s inaugural community opera. The work was collaboratively written by local teenage students of  826  Boston’s Youth Literacy Advisory Board and is an original, timely story exploring issues of gentrification, climate change, and development in Boston.

The 11 young writers are between the ages of 15 and 18 and are all students at the after-school literacy program, 826 Boston.

In a statement, one of the writers Daniela Martinez of East Boston said, “I never thought that I’d be able to write an opera. It seemed daunting. But, whenever I ran out of words, my writing partners filled in the blanks for me. Creating this opera showed me the brilliance of others first-hand.”

The work is set to original music by Mexican-American composer Jorge Sosa, and will feature a quartet of singers accompanied by a classical musical ensemble.

According to Daniela Martinez of East Boston, writing for opera was an intimidating yet rewarding task.

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