Pyramus & Thisbe
The Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Opera Series presents John Frederick Lampe’s comic mock-opera *Pyramus & Thisbe*, built from Shakespearean text and enriched with music and dance drawn from Purcell’s *The Fairy Queen*. The production revisits 18th-century London’s enthusiasm for Shakespeare adaptations, turning the lovers’ secret courtship, moonlit meeting, meddling lion, and tragic misunderstanding into a playful theatrical parody with moments of lyrical tenderness.
The staging features lavish costumes, Baroque dance, and a large ensemble of singers, instrumentalists, and dancers. It is directed and choreographed by Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, with musical direction from Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs and concertmaster leadership from Robert Mealy. Boston performances include a pre-opera talk with author and musicologist Ellen T. Harris one hour before each show.
When: Saturday, November 28, 2026, and Sunday, November 29, 2026
Showtimes: Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 3pm
Venue: New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
Pre-Opera Talks: Ellen T. Harris leads an audience talk one hour before each Boston performance.
Tickets: Price not available
Virtual Performance: The virtual premiere is Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 8pm Eastern Time. The recording remains available to watch through December 27, 2026, at 11:59pm Eastern Time.
Creative Team: Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, musical directors; Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, stage director and choreographer; Robert Mealy, concertmaster; Anna Kjellsdotter, costume designer; Kelly Martin, lighting designer; Grant Sorenson, assistant stage director; Anna Mansbridge, assistant choreographer; and Kathleen Fay, executive producer.
Cast: Aaron Sheehan as Pyramus, Nola Richardson as Thisbe, John Taylor Ward as the Lion, Brian Giebler as the Moon, and Jason McStoots as the Wall. Caleb Mayo appears as an actor.
Chamber Ensemble: The Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble features Robert Mealy and Cynthia Roberts on violin, Sarah Darling on viola, Phoebe Carrai on violoncello, Nathaniel Chase on double bass, Kathryn Montoya and Gaia Saetermoe-Howard on oboe and recorder, Dominic Teresi on bassoon, John Thiessen and Brandon Bergeron on trumpet, Todd Williams and Nathanael Udell on horn, Michelle Humphreys on percussion, Paul O’Dette on theorbo, Stephen Stubbs on Baroque guitar, Maxine Eilander on Baroque harp, David Morris on viola da gamba, and Michael Sponseller on harpsichord.
Dance Ensemble: Julian Donahue, Caitlin Klinger, and Tshedzom Tingkhye.
Related Performances: The production is also scheduled for November 27, 2026, at 7:30pm and November 28, 2026, at 8pm at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, New York.
Run Time: Not stated.
Age Guidance: Not stated.