Richard Strauss’ Salome
Directed by David Levine
Work-in-progress
In development for 2025/2026
To be presented by Crossing The Line Festival
Workshop showing at Arrow Street Arts, Cambridge MA
August 13, 2025
CREAtive cRedits
Concept & Direction: David Levine
Music Director: Simone Guiliani
Vocal Director and Conductor: Joseph Bozich
Choreography: Anna Thérèse Witenberg
Sound Supervisor: Mike Flannery
Audio Engineer: Garth MacAleavey
Video Design: Andrea Merkx
Subtitles: Katie Soule
Line Producer: Michelle Stern
Producer: Ariana Smart Truman
Assistant Director: Katie Runions
Cast
Herodius: Sarah Heltzel
Herod: Matthew DiBattista
Jew#1: Neal Ferreira
Jew#2: Morgan Mastrangelo
Jew#3: Kartik Ayysola
Jew#4: Srinivasan Raghuraman
Jew#5: Brian Church
Nazarene #1: Michael Galvin
Nazarene #2: Robert Kleinertz
Salome: Sol Kim-Bentley
Jochanaan: Devon Russo
First Soldier: Jacob Cooper
Dancers: Juli Brandano, Caitlin Canty, Benin Gardner, Rachel Gill, Elinor Hitt, Miranda Lawson
Salome synopsis
The Tetrarch Herod has murdered his brother and married Herodias, his brother’ wife. He has imprisoned Jochanaan, a religious zealot with a large following, for decrying his sinful act. Narraboth, the captain of Herod’s guard, is enamored of Salome, Herod’s stepdaughter, but Salome is fascinated by Jochanaan, and persuades Narraboth to release him. When Jochanaan rejects her, Salome’s obsession grows, driving a despairing Narraboth to suicide. When Herod, captivated by Salome, promises her anything if she dances for him, she demands Jochanaan’s head; she passionately kisses his mouth, leading a disgusted Herod to order Salome’s execution.
Scene 4 synopsis
In this excerpt from Scene 4, Herod enters, followed by his court. Plagued by obscure and ominous visions, harried by competing obligations—to entertain his court, to placate his wife, to satisfy the Jews, to mollify Jochanaan's followers—Herod fixates on Salome, his stepdaughter. But Salome, still reeling from her rejection by Jochanaan and revolted by her stepfather's attentions, rebuffs his every advance. Increasingly desperate, Herod finally offers Salome anything if she will just dance for him. Having bound him with an oath, she agrees, and dances the Dance of the Seven Veils. But her demand is not what Herod expects.
Thanks to
David Altshuler, Anika Nayak, Jim Bernhardt and everyone at Arrow Street Arts; Sol Kim Bentley, Gretchen Brodnicki, Maysoon Hamdiyyah, Anna McDonald and Sean Kelly at Harvard University, and Emily Warshaw and Timothey Sullivan and everyone at TDM; Tatyana Franck, Violaine Husiman, Catherine Baumann and Gaspard de Lencquesaing at L’Alliance New York; ; Maggie Hoffman and Radiohole; Mark Luevano, Omar Najmi, Marlan Barry, Claire and Jules Lehmann, Frank Corliss, Nunally Kersh, Edward Nelson, Robert Mollicone, Sherry Dobbin, Gideon Lester, Anne-Marie Levine, Christopher Ray, Daniel Burstein, and Samuel Gelber.
Video Documentation: Geoff Shelton
Still Photography: Andrew Federman
Video excerpts from 2024 workshop production
December 14-16, 2024
National Sawdust, Brooklyn, NY
Click here to watch the complete, 30-minute video of the staging of scenes 1 -3.
Creative Credits for December 2024 Workshop at National Sawdust
Concept & Direction: David Levine
Music Director: Simone Guiliani
Vocal Director: Christopher James Ray
Audio Engineer: Mike Flannery
Video Design: Andrea Merkx
Costume & Makeup Design: Emily Schubert
Lighting Design: Kate McGee
Subtitles: Katie Soule
Line Producer: Michelle Stern
Producer: Ariana Smart Truman
Assistant Director: Noah Gold
Costume Assistant: Holly Rae McClintock
Video Documentation: Geoff Shelton
Still Photography: Andrew Federman
Cast
Salome: Sara Gartland
Jochanaan: Norman Garrett
Narraboth: Charles Calotta
A Page of Herodias: Hai-Ting Chinn
First Soldier: Jesús Vicente Murillo
Second Soldier: Alan Williams
Salome synopsis
The Tetrarch Herod has murdered his brother and married Herodias, his brother’ wife. He has imprisoned Jochanaan, a religious zealot with a large following, for decrying his sinful act. Narraboth, the captain of Herod’s guard, is enamored of Salome, Herod’s stepdaughter, but Salome is fascinated by Jochanaan, and persuades Narraboth to release him. When Jochanaan rejects her, Salome’s obsession grows, driving a despairing Narraboth to suicide. When Herod, captivated by Salome, promises her anything if she dances for him, she demands Jochanaan’s head; she passionately kisses his mouth, leading a disgusted Herod to order Salome’s execution.
Scenes 1-3 synopsis
On a terrace at Herod’s palace, the young captain Narraboth admires Princess Salome from afar, even as his friend the Page warns that disaster will come if he continues to obsess over her. Salome, repulsed by her stepfather Herod’s advances, is intrigued by the voice of Jochanaan, uttering prophetic visions from the bottom of a well. She asks to see him, but the soldiers demur, citing Herod’s orders. Salome turns to Narraboth, promising him favor if he overrules the soldiers, and Narraboth, unable to resist, orders the prophet brought out from the well. When Jochanaan emerges, denouncing Salome’s family and prophesying the coming of “the Son of Man,” Salome’s feelings become passionate.
Thanks to
Tatyana Franck, Violaine Husiman, Catherine Baumann and Gaspard de Lencquesaing at L’Alliance New York; Ana DeArchuleta, Alex Barnes, Jimmy Dewhurst, Marielle Iljazoski, Garth MacAleavey, Damien Moffitt, Lauren Nordvig, Caleb Scianella and Brian Scuh at National Sawdust; Sol Kim Bentley, Gretchen Brodnicki, Maysoon Hamdiyyah, Anna McDonald and Sean Kelly at Harvard University; Marlan Barry, Claire and Jules Lehmann, Frank Corliss, Nunally Kersh, Edward Nelson, Robert Mollicone, Sherry Dobbin, Gideon Lester, Anne-Marie Levine, and Samuel Gelber.