The police are after Magda’s husband John (William Neely), a freedom fighter they consider an enemy of the state. When the police leave, John comes out of hiding and tells his wife to ask the consulate for help. But she’s only put on a paper chase. “Your name is a number,” the consul’s secretary (Eileen Morris) tells her. “Your story is a case.” After days of this paper chase that leads nowhere, Magda ironically asks herself: “What is your name? My name is woman. Color of eyes? The color of tears. Occupation? Waiting, waiting, waiting.”

The consulate also provides much comic relief to this tragic opera. The waiting room is filled with colorful characters including a magician that performs bad but funny tricks. At one point he even hypnotizes everyone and makes them all dance. But even this comic relief is deeply woven into the story of this oppressive police state. When the magician tells everyone to “choose your partners; the dance is on,” the audience realizes that there’s more than one kind of dance being alluded to.

The Consul differs from some operas by keeping the drama in the forefront and having the music support it. It’s a powerful story punctuated by some very poignant music.

For tickets or more information call (707) 763-8920 or visit www.cinnabartheater.org.

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