San Francisco War Memorial 1998-1999 Peter Grimes Page 1 of 2 Opera Assn. Opera House Peter Grimes (in English) Opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten Libretto by Montagu Slater Based on The Borough, a poem by George Crabbe Conductor CAST Donald Runnicles Hobson, a carrier John Relyea Stage Director Swallow, a lawyer Stafford Dean John Copley Peter Grimes, a fisherman Thomas Moser Associate Stage Director Mrs. Sedley, a widow Catherine Cook Herbert Kellner Ellen Orford, a widow and schoolmistress Deborah Riedel* Set designer First fisherman William Pickersgill Carl Toms Auntie, landlady of "The Boar" Claire Powell Costume Designer Bob Boles, a fisherman and Methodist Matthew Lord Tanya Moiseiwitsch Captain Balstrode, retired merchant skipper Alan Held Lighting Designer Second fisherman Jere Torkelsen Thomas J. Munn Third fisherman Frederick Matthews Chorus Director Reverend Horace Adams, the rector Gary Rideout Ian Robertson First niece Tammy Jenkins Musical Preparation Second niece Peggy Kriha Dye Joyce Fieldsend Ned Keene, apothecary and quack Theodore Baerg Adelle Eslinger Boy (John), Grimes's apprentice Thomas Buran William Lacey Kathleen Kelly Michael Bannett (11/22; 12/5,11) Susan Webb Dr. Crabbe Paul Ricks Peter Grunberg A lawyer Richard Walker Ernest Fredric Knell A fisherwoman Sally Mouzon Prompter Men of the Borough William Pickersgill, Frederick Matthews, Richard Walker Kathleen Kelly Valery Portnov, Daniel Harper, David Kekuewa Assistant Stage Director Offstage voice Virginia Pluth Brad Dalton Roy Rallo Stage Manager *Role debut †U.S. opera debut Theresa Ganley PLACE AND TIME: The Borough, a fishing village on the East coast of England; 1830 Tuesday, November 17 1998, at 7:30 PM Prologue -- A room inside Moot Hall Sunday, November 22 1998, at 2:00 PM Act I, Scene 1 -- The Borough beach and street Wednesday, December 2 1998, at 7:30 PM Act I, Scene 2 -- Inside "The Boar" inn Saturday, December 5 1998, at 8:00 PM INTERMISSION Tuesday, December 8 1998, at 8:00 PM Act II, Scene 1 -- The beach and street, some weeks later Friday, December 11 1998, at 8:00 PM Act II, Scene 2 -- Grimes's hut Sunday, December 13 1998, at 2:00 PM INTERMISSION Act III, Scene 1 -- The beach and street, a few days later Act III, Scene 1 -- The same, some hours later San Francisco War Memorial 1998-1999 Peter Grimes Page 2 of 2 Opera Assn. Opera House Sponsors: The performance of December 8th is designated in honor of Bruce and Carol Mitchell's membership in the Triple Gold Circle Notes: Production originally co-owned with Chicago Lyric Opera Scenery constructed in San Francisco Opera Scenic Studios Costumes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera Association ADDITIONAL PERFORMERS San Francisco Boys Chorus -- Ian Robertson, Artistic director Jeffrey Bryant Benjamin Farber Ryan Irwin Alex Rose Mario Sawaya Supernumeraries Robert Arnold Paul Gianakos Jonathan Jetsun Ron Mann Jason Mayo Richard Paton Paul Ricks George Weiss.