The Girl Who Waters the Basil is the deceptively quaint tale of a poor shoemaker's daughter and a lovesick inquisitive prince. Hints of the author’s dark history peek through the rollicking tone of this little play; Federico Garcia Lorca, lover of the famous painter, Salvador Dali, was murdered by the Nationalist militia at the start of the Spanish Civil War and thrown into an unmarked grave. But this comic tale is (almost) all spring and love and marriage, with penniless fathers, dimwitted royalty and elegant, if vain, little maidens.
The creative team for this 'pocket-opera' consists of composer Douglas Boyce, librettist, director and dramaturge Jodi Kanter, set and costume designer Natsu Onada Power, and musical ombudsman Robert Baker, who will also be singing the role of the Prince. Our performers will include Rebecca Ocampo (soprano), James Shaffran (baritone), David Jones (clarinet), Richard O'Meara (percussion) and Molly Orlando Palmiero (piano).
As we move closer to premiere date we'll be posting more about the development process, biographies of members of the troupe, as well as pictures, links, and maybe some rehearsal tape 'sneak previews.'
Jodi Kanter is a theater artist whose work focuses on strengthening communities through performance. To this end, she has created theater in a wide variety of settings, including professional theaters, hospices, prisons, cultural centers, libraries, galleries, schools and other public spaces. She is an associate professor of theater at George Washington University, where she teaches acting and directing. Her book, Performing Loss: Rebuilding Community Through Theatre and Writing (Southern Illinois University Press, 2007) explores how communities can use performance to respond to shared experiences of grief. Jodi’s next directing project is “From Prison to Stage,” an evening of plays written by prisoners across the country to be performed at The Kennedy Center on September 5. 
