October 9, 2000 Opera conference features speakers, performance, and exhibit By Barbara McKenna Most seasoned critics can tell you that Elmer Fudd's finest hour took place when, tearing his Viking helmet from his head, he sang "I killed the wabbit," in the Opera on any terms. An early 20th-century opera lover gets her fix by Victrola. dramatic denouement of What's Opera, Doc? Others may remember the cereal commercial in which a tortured soprano lamented, "No more Rice Krispies." From modern lesbian love stories, to spaghetti westerns, to commercials, to sold-out stadium shows featuring the Three Tenors, opera has become an integral part of our culture. A conference at UCSC will look at just how influential opera has been on culture at large, and how opera has been influenced by the world around it. The conference is titled "In and Out of Opera," and takes place Friday, October 27, through Saturday, October 28, in Social Sciences 2, Room 71. The conference is free and open to the public. For more information, call (831) 459-2242 or e-mail ridgway@cats.ucsc.edu. (Conference schedule) Taking place in conjunction with the conference are an exhibition on the local history of opera, a film series, and an Arts & Lectures performance of Romeo Sierra Tango by internationally acclaimed actor/writer Rinde Eckert (who is, coincidentally, the son of two opera singers). All events are supported by the Siegfried and Elizabeth Mignon Puknat Endowment, a gift from the late Siegfried "Sig" Puknat, who was a professor of German literature at UCSC for 18 years (more info). Puknat, who died in 1997, left several endowments to the campus including one each to the Literature Department and Cowell College. Committee members from the two areas decided to pool this year's funding to develop the conference in honor of Puknat, who was a great fan of opera. Endowment funds are also being used to support the exhibition and Eckert's performance. The conference features presenters who have studied opera from an academic perspective as well as those who have been involved in opera performance, production, and instruction. Speakers from UCSC and around the country will speak on a range of subjects on opera. Among them is John Dizikes, a professor emeritus of American studies at UCSC and author of the critically acclaimed book, Opera in America. The exhibition, "In and Out of Opera," runs Oct. 1 through December 15 during regular library hours. The exhibit will reflect the history of opera in Santa Cruz and UCSC, using posters, photographs, memorabilia, documents, books, and even ongoing screenings of the Bugs Bunny classics What's Opera, Doc? and The Rabbit of Seville. Call (831) 459-2847 for more information. Romeo Sierra Tango, featuring Rinde Eckert, takes place at 8 p.m. in the UCSC Music Center Recital Hall. The show is part of Arts & Lectures' 2000-01 season and is funded principally by a gift from the Puknat endowment. For tickets, call (831) 459-2159. A film series on opera is being offered as well. The series is offered in conjunction with the class Opera and Film, being taught by literature professor H. Marshall Leicester. The films will be screened Mondays in 321 Kresge from 7 to 10 p.m. For more information, call (831) 459-2609 (message). (Film schedule) Return to Front Page