Intelligence

The Houston Grand Opera’s original production of Intelligence delves into the complexities of truth. Set in 1865 Richmond, on the cusp of the Civil War’s conclusion, the opera navigates the city’s dual identity as both the Confederate capital and nearby Mason-Dixon line Union supporters.

Ravenswood Studio fabricated the entire set for this opera. The set needed to be structurally sound so that actors and dancers could perform on it, but easy enough for those same cast members to move set elements as needed. The contemporary stage design features a stark, two-story metal structure and portable projection screens that shifts the set’s visuals seamlessly from tales of slavery and conflict to ancestral celebration.