MARS: Signs of Life

MARS: Signs of Life

an opera from another planet

World Premiere
Music by Tim Brady | Libretto by Alexis Diamond
In English with English and French surtitles

An astrobiologist, geologist, and engineer are the first humans ever to set foot on Mars. Physically close but emotionally distant, they navigate many challenges. Equipment failure, limited resources, and the arrival of new colonists from Earth shift the already fragile conditions of human settlement. Over time, the colony evolves far beyond its original intent, reshaping both Mars and its inhabitants. Set in 2040, 2041 and 2140, the story time-travels across a fragmented narrative — out of order, yet complete.

Composer Tim Brady and librettist Alexis Diamond have created a 68-minute chamber opera that feels simultaneously monumental and intimate. The exploration of space, the colonisation of Mars, and the effects of climate change on society are vast subjects. Yet, the libretto is a masterpiece of subtle personal reflection and interaction, carried by the music’s own breadth and nuance.

With three singers as the three scientists, a dancer as Mars incarnate, electric guitar, viola, electronics and striking video projections that replace a traditional set, the opera shifts effortlessly between vulnerable, intimate spaces and large-scale, immersive spaces. Each scene is a turning point, as one character teeters on the edge of fate. Intimate solo miniatures juxtapose soaring, epic feats of choral mastery in an urgent and adventurous composition that propels the audience inexorably forward.

MARS: Signs of Life is the third opera in the tetralogy of operas by Tim Brady entitled HOPE (and the dark matter of history). The cycle confronts the problematic sides of social, cultural, political, religious, economic and industrial practices, inviting us to question our values and beliefs while offering a space for hope.

CREDITS

A Bradyworks production
Music: Tim Brady
Libretto: Alexis Diamond

Cast
Astrobiologist: Bronwyn Thies-Thompson, soprano
Geologist: Sarah Albu, soprano
Engineer: Marie-Annick Béliveau, mezzo-soprano
Mars: Evelynn Yan, dancer

Bradyworks Ensemble
Conductor: Georges-Étienne D’Entremont
Electric Guitar: Emmanuel Lacopo
Viola: Pemi Paull
Sound projection (fixed media): Tim Brady

Artistic and Technical Team
Stage Director: Anne-Marie St-Louis
Video: Jean-François Robin
Costumes & Properties: Nalo Soyini Bruce
Lighting: Mateo Barrera
Stage Manager: Julie Abran
Technical Director: Mateo Barrera
Assistant Stage Director: Vivianne Delorme
Sound: Santiago Castillo

Support
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Conseil des arts de Montréal, La Fondation du Grand Montréal, Trellis Microgrant (ELAN) — Department of Canadian Heritage, Le Vivier.