(gentle, soft music) - [Announcer] Tonight on Stage, take a front-row seat for the inspiration, connection and joy you've been missing.

(cheerful, rhythmic music) The Minnesota Opera presents "Mniatures," newly commissioned, short operas from Minnesota artists with a variety of creative backgrounds.

(cheerful, rhythmic music) - Hi, I'm Ryan Taylor, president and general director of Minnesota Opera.

Welcome to Stage.

Tonight, with TPT, Minnesota Opera is awfully proud to present "Mniatures," tiny operas, big ideas.

This project began last August when our staff did some creative brainstorming to figure out how to stretch the bounds of what we think of as opera and invite local creatives to tell small operas of their own device.

What they've created is incredibly beautiful and I know you're going to enjoy this performance of "Mniatures."

(gentle, string music) (slow, dramatic piano music) ♪ Dear America ♪ ♪ I'll never send this letter ♪ ♪ You'll never read this letter ♪ ♪ This letter is for me ♪ ♪ This letter is for me ♪ ♪ I think these thoughts and ask these questions ♪ ♪ To silent, rumbling Earth ♪ ♪ In transformation ♪ ♪ In transformation ♪ (dramatic, piano music) ♪ We can hold each other ♪ ♪ Even on this stolen land ♪ ♪ We can hold each other ♪ ♪ And you can come and take my hand ♪ ♪ With the fire burning ♪ ♪ We can keep on learning ♪ ♪ We're a human family ♪ ♪ We're a human family ♪ ♪ I wait in darkness ♪ ♪ To rise from the sick bed ♪ ♪ Blanket and sheet ♪ ♪ Fever and broken lung ♪ ♪ In transformation ♪ ♪ In transformation ♪ ♪ We can hold each other even on this stolen land ♪ ♪ We can hold each other and you can come and take my hand ♪ ♪ With a fire burning we can keep on learning ♪ ♪ We're a human family ♪ ♪ We're a human family ♪ ♪ In transformation ♪ ♪ In transformation ♪ ♪ In transformation ♪ ♪ In transformation ♪ ♪ Dear America ♪ (cheerful, gentle music) ♪ The whole world was naked and open ♪ ♪ The whole world was naked and open ♪ ♪ The concert hall, the curtain rising ♪ ♪ The harp and violin ♪ ♪ The clarinet, the flute and cello ♪ ♪ The conductor waving her wand ♪ ♪ The whole world was naked and open ♪ ♪ The whole world was naked and open ♪ ♪ I remember my favorite cafe ♪ ♪ The owner of my favorite restaurant ♪ ♪ Speaking of land, the art of tamales and kneading dough ♪ ♪ I remember our art on the subways ♪ ♪ On corners and theaters and museums ♪ ♪ Jacobs and Walker, O'Keeffe and Carlo, ♪ ♪ can you remember it ♪ ♪ The whole world was naked and open ♪ ♪ The whole world was naked and open ♪ ♪ If you could go back in time, what would you do ♪ ♪ Say yes to every invitation ♪ ♪ Relish the breath of every stranger ♪ ♪ The whole world was naked and open ♪ ♪ The whole world was naked and open ♪ ♪ Dear America ♪ ♪ Did you weep for grandma, auntie and sister ♪ ♪ Grandpa and cousin, gone to the soil ♪ ♪ Did you weep for this country ♪ ♪ Sick of its virus, sick of itself ♪ (dramatic piano music) ♪ For farewells through the airwaves ♪ ♪ Of a cell phone line ♪ ♪ Grief through the bars ♪ ♪ of a mobile device ♪ ♪ Have you wept today ♪ ♪ Have you wept today ♪ ♪ Have you wept today ♪ ♪ For democracy ♪ ♪ Finding its footing, four long years ♪ ♪ For the elephant and donkey ♪ ♪ in the great ring of fire ♪ ♪ And everyone cast their bets our hero ♪ ♪ And a monster ♪ ♪ Have you wept today ♪ ♪ Have you wept today ♪ ♪ Have you wept today yet ♪ ♪ Dear America ♪ ♪ You're on TV, I'm on TV ♪ ♪ Doesn't it feel like we're all on TV ♪ ♪ This digital version of a life ♪ ♪ Digital version of a life ♪ ♪ We're children of a 5G god ♪ ♪ Sprawled out on a digital landscape ♪ ♪ Likes and shares and hearts and thumbs ♪ ♪ In the digital book of lives ♪ ♪ The digital book of lives ♪ ♪ You're on TV, I'm on TV ♪ ♪ Doesn't it seem like we're all on TV ♪ ♪ This digital version of space ♪ ♪ Digital version of space ♪ ♪ We're children of a 5G god ♪ ♪ Sprawled out on the digital landscape ♪ ♪ Likes and shares and hearts and thumbs ♪ ♪ The digital book of lives ♪ ♪ The digital book of lives ♪ ♪ Can you feel my pulse touch my skin ♪ ♪ When you scroll down my Facebook page ♪ ♪ Or Instagram or share my Twitter, move with my TikTok ♪ ♪ Is it the same as breathing my air ♪ ♪ Is the image enough ♪ ♪ Is the image enough ♪ ♪ And so I end this, my letter to you ♪ ♪ One day when I am very old ♪ ♪ I'll take this letter from its wooden box ♪ ♪ And finally share it with you ♪ ♪ Until then ♪ ♪ Let your heart beat naked and open ♪ ♪ With love ♪ ♪ Always naked and open ♪ ♪ With love ♪ ♪ Love ♪ (gentle, orchestral music) (singing foreign lyrics) (phone ringing) - Hello?

- [Woman] Ba Ngoai, hello?

(speaking a foreign language) - [Woman] I'm sorry Ba Ngoai, I said I'm going to be late.

I'm stuck at work for another hour.

- Oh, okay, but you come.

Bye bye.

- [Woman] Love you too, Ba Ngoai, I'll see you soon.

(stool creaking) (Ba Ngoai gasps) (stool rattles) (gentle, quiet music) (fire hisses) ♪ Where was I ♪ ♪ When you needed me ♪ ♪ You were so lonely, if only I'd reached out ♪ ♪ To know you ♪ (gentle, quiet music) ♪ Where were you ♪ ♪ We could barely speak ♪ ♪ If I tried harder, I'd live in your language ♪ ♪ To love you ♪ (gentle, quiet music) - Hey, come back here!

(gentle, quiet music) (gates creak) Hello?

(gentle, quiet music) (woman screams) (dramatic music) (gentle, quiet music) (birds chirping) (gentle, cheerful music) (speaking a foreign language) - Ba Ngoai is that you?

But you look so young.

(speaking a foreign language) - Wait, Ba Ngoai, where are you going?

(energetic, orchestral music) (water sloshes) (energetic, orchestral music) (water sloshes) (playful music) Ba Ngoai, wait, I need to talk to you.

(speaking a foreign language) - I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you're saying.

(playful music) (speaking a foreign language) - Wait, Ba Ngoai?

Do you know where my grandma went?

(gentle music) (water sloshing) (singing foreign lyrics) (pounding on door) Hello?

Is anyone there?

Please, let me in!

Ba Ngoai?

Why would she leave me out here?

(singing foreign lyrics) (door clicks) ♪ Listen for Vietnam ♪ ♪ She will whisper through sea breezes ♪ ♪ And if you forget her song ♪ ♪ She'll sing it for you with love from Vietnam ♪ ♪ If you're feeling lonely ♪ ♪ Marigolds and roses bloom ♪ ♪ And the hills and velvet rainbows that lies around you ♪ ♪ With love from Vietnam ♪ (audience applauding) That was incredible!

I didn't know you sang.

How come you never told me?

- Oh, it was so long ago and it was so hard for us to communicate in the first place.

- I'm so sorry, this is all my fault.

- You think you kill me?

It was that white rice.

That doctor said, "You need to eat brown rice."

But it just taste so bad.

- Yeah but, you shouldn't have died alone.

Someone should have been there.

- I wish you were there too, but life in America is so busy.

But you are doing what you love and that makes me happy too.

- That's not good enough.

- Shh, come over here and look at where you are.

(cheerful, strumming music) ♪ I left in the night when the fighting began ♪ ♪ Flew through the clouds to the faraway land ♪ ♪ I looked in the mirror and I saw a new face ♪ ♪ There's no looking back in that faraway place ♪ (cheerful, orchestral music) ♪ Why not return when the country was safe ♪ ♪ Weren't you missing this beautiful place ♪ ♪ Wouldn't your friends make you feel less alone ♪ ♪ Wish I had taken you faraway home ♪ (cheerful, orchestral music) ♪ Fighting is tough but my friends would all fly ♪ ♪ Colonial create making sure we all bled ♪ ♪ Fractured the best place that I ever know ♪ ♪ This should have been your faraway home ♪ ♪ This should have been my ♪ ♪ This should have been your faraway home ♪ ♪ This should have been my ♪ ♪ This should have been my home ♪ I think it's time for us to say goodbye.

(whooshing) (gentle music) (birds chirping) (gentle, orchestral music) (melancholy, string music) (energetic, percussion music) (cheerful, ukulele music) (melancholy, string music) (melancholy, string music) (cheerful, ukulele music) (energetic, percussion music) ♪ Joy to you, we won ♪ ♪ Goodbye, sayonara ♪ (melancholy, string music) (cheerful, strumming music) (slow, percussion music) (gentle, strumming music) (melancholy, string music) (cheerful, strumming music) (melancholy, string music) (gentle, quiet music) - The year is 1920.

Well, a black soldier who fought in the great war is getting ready for the day as a civilian, a day, that for a black person in America, can be nearly as treacherous as being in enemy territory, when at any moment a battle could ensue.

(quiet, piano music) ♪ I keep looking in on those memories ♪ ♪ Always scanning, but I'm not on the field ♪ ♪ I fought for this country ♪ ♪ Shed blood for this army ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn, let's go ♪ ♪ A Harlem Hell fighter never gets no quarter ♪ ♪ Come back home to the same old story ♪ ♪ A black soldier without a hero's glory ♪ ♪ I rise for those who didn't make it ♪ ♪ I bill for those who survived it ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn, let's go ♪ ♪ Works in the war and works right now ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn, let's go ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn, let's go ♪ ♪ Let's go, let's go, let's go ♪ ♪ Let's go, let's go, let's go ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn, let's go ♪ ♪ Let's go ♪ (gentle, piano music) (dramatic music) ♪ Don't tread on me ♪ ♪ Excuse me, I was standing in line ♪ ♪ That's not your turn, it's mine ♪ ♪ Now you were standing behind ♪ ♪ I was just following the sign ♪ ♪ Watch your place, you don't know who you're messing with ♪ ♪ Your eyes betray the glee of joy and the pain you yield ♪ ♪ Hiding behind the protection ♪ ♪ in the whiteness of your skin ♪ ♪ Huh ♪ ♪ I'm the black liberation, huh ♪ ♪ My power lies within, huh ♪ ♪ You're pulling on a, huh ♪ ♪ Trigger that you, huh, can't put back in the grenade ♪ ♪ Huh ♪ ♪ Fight or flight, huh ♪ ♪ I must decide, huh, if I can put a cage on this rage ♪ ♪ A cage on this rage ♪ ♪ You wanna tread on this rage ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn ♪ ♪ If you wanna go, then let's go ♪ ♪ What you're playing ♪ ♪ You don't know who you're messing with ♪ ♪ Your eyes betraying the glee ♪ ♪ of joy and the pain you yield ♪ ♪ All shall never lean through me ♪ ♪ It's a struggle charging each and every cell ♪ ♪ I can't trick myself any longer ♪ ♪ This anger coming out of its shell ♪ ♪ Excuse me, I was standing in line ♪ ♪ It's not your turn, it's mine ♪ ♪ And I was following the sign ♪ ♪ and you were standing behind ♪ ♪ I want a cage on this rage ♪ ♪ I want a cage on this rage ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me ♪ - The year is 1970.

Colette, a black woman, comes home from her first day at work after some white woman worked her last nerve.

(jazzy, percussion music) ♪ Hello sugar, welcome home ♪ ♪ Mrs Manager, here you go ♪ ♪ Hey baby, oh, I needed that ♪ ♪ How was your first day as a manager ♪ ♪ Oh, it was so hard ♪ ♪ Wanna talk about it ♪ ♪ I don't know, no ♪ ♪ I'm here ♪ ♪ I got your back though ♪ ♪ Was it like the time when the white man ♪ ♪ Pretended your ideas was his ♪ ♪ And you promptly shut his behind down ♪ ♪ Respectfully, of course ♪ ♪ Respectfully, that was a good one ♪ ♪ Or was it like the time when the white woman told you ♪ ♪ To get out of her way and then rode her ass ♪ ♪ You rode your ass harder and then she frown ♪ ♪ And then you said, you'd better not try ♪ ♪ And then she put her hands on the purse and then you ♪ ♪ Let's go ♪ (man laughs) (jazzy, percussion music) ♪ I walked in with my head held high, sure did ♪ ♪ You know I was looking fashion fly, sure was ♪ ♪ Rode up the elevator, walked to the receptionist ♪ ♪ Movin' then chill, on time, wow ♪ ♪ Well the white lady behind the desk, mmhmm ♪ ♪ She slowly looked me up and down, oh no ♪ ♪ As if I was here to clean the restroom, Hell no ♪ ♪ They got me twisted ♪ ♪ These manicured nails still make a fist ♪ ♪ If you wanna put yourself on my whoop ass list ♪ ♪ Walk into my office and I'll teach you fast, hm ♪ ♪ Might be the first, but I'm not the last ♪ ♪ To climb up this ladder with myself all right ♪ ♪ So if you ask for it, I'm gonna have to fight ♪ ♪ Forget the suit and my three degrees ♪ ♪ I'ma squish you like a bug that you're tryin' to be ♪ ♪ Oh wow ♪ ♪ Well that's what I wanted to say ♪ ♪ But I asked for the owner instead, Hell yes ♪ ♪ Said this was a business and I must be mistaken ♪ ♪ She was trippin', oh racism ♪ ♪ Hm, so I chose a diplomatic route, uh huh ♪ ♪ And I want to flex my clout, flex baby ♪ ♪ Shoulda seen her face later ♪ ♪ When I was introduced as a manager, business manager ♪ ♪ These manicured nails still make a fist ♪ ♪ If you wanna put yourself on my whoop ass list ♪ ♪ Walk into my office and I'll teach you fast ♪ ♪ Might be the first, but I'm not the last ♪ ♪ Instead I said, Jesus coming soon ♪ ♪ While I watch another plate like a wet balloon ♪ ♪ You can either move forward or get left behind ♪ ♪ But I won't tolerate your racist behind ♪ - (laughs) Come on, tell it-- - That's right.

- Tell it.

♪ I won't tolerate your racist behind, nope, uh uh, look ♪ ♪ From time to time I shine, oh wait ♪ ♪ I'm gonna set a revolution in this corporation, hey ♪ ♪ Time, the time has changed ♪ ♪ But the pain remains ♪ ♪ Like a loop in my brain ♪ ♪ Hey, one day I'll never have to cold switch ♪ ♪ But until then ♪ ♪ I'm not gonna flinch ♪ ♪ No, hey, we're gonna ride this out ♪ ♪ 'cause this is our time ♪ ♪ Gonna ride this out, 'cause this is our time ♪ ♪ Gonna ride this out, 'cause this is our time ♪ ♪ Gonna ride this out, 'cause this is our time ♪ ♪ Gonna ride this out, 'cause this is our time ♪ ♪ Ride this out, 'cause this is our time ♪ ♪ Gonna ride this out 'cause this is our time, yeah ♪ ♪ Come on, this is our time ♪ ♪ Gonna ride this out, it's our time ♪ ♪ My time, my time ♪ ♪ This is our time ♪ ♪ Your time, your time, your time, yeah ♪ ♪ Hey damn right, damn right, right on ♪ - Damn right.

- Hey.

(laughs) (gentle, somber piano music) (upbeat music) (harmonizing) - April 18th, Barbecue Becky calls 911 on a barbecue party, claims they don't have a permit, then claims to be in danger.

June 2018, Permit Patty calls the cops on an eight year old selling water.

October 2018, Key fab Kelly physically blocks black man from entering a luxury apartment building.

May 2020, Central Park Karen calls the police on a black man bird watching in Central Park, then pretends to be in danger.

June 2020, Permit Karen calls police on a couple updating their house with a stone patio.

♪ I'm ready for something new ♪ ♪ I'm ready for something new ♪ ♪ I'm ready for something new ♪ ♪ I'm ready for something new ♪ ♪ The weight of this history ♪ ♪ Sick and tired of people texting me ♪ ♪ I see you stalking me ♪ ♪ Can I help you, bitch please ♪ ♪ I hear your degrading tone ♪ ♪ Trigger happy on your cell phone ♪ ♪ Power hungry, K-K-Karen ♪ ♪ Bigger smile you're wearing, wide tears we're shedding ♪ ♪ Backtracking from your deceits ♪ ♪ 400 years, we got receipts ♪ ♪ Yeah, I'm recording on my cell phone ♪ ♪ Now please, you're blinging alone ♪ ♪ Stop your over policing ♪ ♪ Ain't nobody save your casting ♪ ♪ Afraid for your safety, what about my rights ♪ ♪ Would you do that if I was white ♪ ♪ You didn't introduce yourself ♪ ♪ Before claiming rule over someone else ♪ ♪ Didn't even try to get to know me ♪ ♪ Nah, you just wanna control me, stop ♪ ♪ Go write in your journal, you're being awful ♪ ♪ And I don't have time to coddle you ♪ ♪ Or time to educate you, period ♪ August 2020, Nina walks into a store and gets followed around until she purchases her goods.

She is waiting to get picked up and every five minutes someone stops to ask, can I help you?

Asks for her receipts to check her purchases and by the third time, her blood is boiling (energetic music) (harmonizing) ♪ Oh I'm ready ♪ ♪ I'm ready for something new ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn, let's go ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn, let's go ♪ ♪ I'm ready for something new ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn, let's go ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn, let's go ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn, let's go ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn, let's go ♪ ♪ Ready for something new ♪ ♪ Ready for something new ♪ ♪ Ready for something new ♪ ♪ Don't tread on me, God damn, let's go ♪ ♪ Ready for something new, ready for something new ♪ ♪ Ready for something new, ready for something new ♪ ♪ Ready for something new ♪ (gentle, cheerful music) - [Announcer] Stage is made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, the citizens of Minnesota and by viewers like you.

(cheerful, theme music)