Preview: Marble City Opera’s ‘ShadowLight’ Explores the Life and Art of Beauford Delaney

One of the lamentable ironies of artistic creation is that the age in which one lives and works is not necessarily the age in which one gains widespread acceptance. The perfect example of this is the African American artist, Beauford Delaney, who was born in Knoxville in 1901. Leaving Knoxville for art schooling in Boston, Delaney later became known in the New York City art world of the 1930s and 40s, cohabiting that scene with friends such as painter Georgia O’Keeffe and writer Henry Miller. But, doubly marginalized in American society due to his race and homosexuality, and disadvantaged by schizophrenia, he sought out the social acceptance of Paris until his death in 1979. Only since 2009 have concerted efforts managed to give his life and work an international focus—especially through the efforts of writer Monique Wells and the organization, Les Amis de Beauford Delaney. Importantly, Knoxville, too, has been able to finally appreciate its native son whom Knoxville Museum of Art director David Butler has termed “…the most important artist that we produced in the 20th Century.”

That Knoxville focus has come in the form of the Delaney Project, an umbrella organization promoting Delaney from a number of angles, among them: an exhibition at the Knoxville Museum of Art entitled Beauford Delaney and James Baldwin: Through the Unusual Door; screenings of documentaries on Delaney and Baldwin; readings, symposia, and lectures; and a world premiere by Marble City Opera, ShadowLight, music by Larry Delinger and libretto by Emily Anderson, that has two performances at the Beck Cultural Center on February 28 and 29.

“We settled on ShadowLight for the title,” explains Marble City Opera artistic director Kathryn Frady, “because, out of the darkness of the voices of Delaney’s mental illness he was able to create beautiful work. He was so inspired by light. There is a lot of shadow and light in his work, but also within his own life.”

Delinger’s work should not be new to Knoxville audiences with several of his operas getting world premieres in the past from UT Opera Theatre (Medea) and Marble City Opera (Talk To Me Like the Rain and Amelia Lost). In the case of ShadowLight, audiences may want to listen for impressionistic twists, such as hints of ragtime, blue-jazz, and even French impressionism.

“Larry’s work is fascinating,” says Frady. “He has a way of describing mental illness in his music. When I listen to it, I sometimes hear Amelia in it, that character certainly has a lot of mental illness in it.”

“As Beauford Delaney was schizophrenic, so is the music in that sense. It opens with James Baldwin delivering the eulogy after Delaney’s death. In some ways it is Baldwin’s reflection of Delaney’s life. Because the two were so close as mentor and mentee, Baldwin knew of the mental illness, of the voices that tormented him—in a way, it is Baldwin looking back on Beauford’s life and remembering. But, we, as the audience experience it as Beauford would have.”

Singing the role of Beauford Delaney is baritone Brandon Gibson, a familiar face and voice for Knoxville audiences; Vincent Davis is singing the role of James Baldwin. “Voices” will be Regan Bisch, Joshua Allen, and Breyon Ewing.

Stage direction is by Kathryn Frady and James Marvel with Brian Holman conducting the instrumental ensemble.