International Festival of Arts & Ideas and The Yale Schwarzman Center present

Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower

An Opera by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon

Date
June 21 - 22, 2022
Venue
Shubert Theatre
On Sale
On Sale Now
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Event Details

A triumphant, mesmerizing work of rare power and beauty that illuminates insights on gender, race, and the future of human civilization, Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower is “one helluva rock’n’roller-coaster ride.” (Vibe Magazine) This fully staged opera created by Toshi Reagan in collaboration with her mother, Bernice Johnson Reagon, brings together more than 30 original anthems drawn from 200 years of black music to recreate Butler’s sci-fi, Afrofuturist masterpiece. Parable of the Sower explores climate change, political division and other timely issues through the spiritual awakening of Lauren Olamina, a 15-year-old Black girl in a not-too-distant future of climate catastrophe and economic devastation.

Additional Ticket Information

Tickets are being sold through the International Festival of Arts & Ideas.
Prices range from $45 – $100
$20 Student tickets available with ID

Please read our COVID Guidelines for Parable Of The Sower

Proof of vaccination will be required for all audience members.
Face masks are required for all audience members.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

Certain shows or artists may require additional COVID-19 protocols which include proof of vaccination and/or masks. We will include these requirements on our website as well as via email in the days leading up to the specific performances.
Should the Federal, State, local or health authorities issue further changes to policy in response to an increase in COVID-19 infection rates, the Shubert Theatre reserves the right to comply with such changes and recommendations, including the reinstatement of mask wearing and/or vaccination/test requirements.
If you feel sick or are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, we ask that you prioritize your health and the health of others by staying home.

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Toshi Reagon, Composer

Toshi Reagon has been described as “a talented, versatile singer, songwriter and musician with a profound ear for sonic Americana—from folk to funk, from blues to rock” by critic/blogger Eva Yaa Asantewaa (InfiniteBody). “She masters each of these genres with vocal strategies that easily spiral and swoop from the expressively sinuous to the hard-charging, a combination of warmth and mischief.” While her expansive career has landed her comfortably in residence at Carnegie Hall, the Paris Opera House and Madison Square Garden, you can just as easily find Toshi turning out a music festival, intimate venue or local club. Toshi finds home on any musical stage. Toshi has had the pleasure of working with Lenny Kravitz, Lizz Wright, Ani DiFranco, Carl Hancock Rux, Nona Hendryx, Pete Seeger, Chocolate Genius and many other amazing artists, including her favorite collaborator, her mom, Bernice Johnson Reagon. Yaa Asantewaa writes, “Toshi knows the power of song to focus, unite and mobilize people. If you’ve been lucky enough to be in Toshi’s presence, you know you can’t walk away from her without feeling better about yourself as a human being. She aims for nothing less.” Toshi has been the recipient of a NYFA award for Music Composition, The Black Lily Music and Film Festival Award for Outstanding Performance. She is a National Women’s History Month Honoree, and is the 2010 recipient of OutMusic’s Heritage Award.