Joining Tapestry Opera and Against the Grain Theatre for the Canadian Premiere of David T. Little’s “Dog Days.”

About Dog Days

Dog Days is a contemporary opera that combines classical vocals with dark ambient noise and amplified electric guitars. Set during a fictional wartime blackout, the story follows a rural working-class family attempting to survive amidst military collapse and severe food shortages. The psychological drama explores human resilience, desperation, and moral breakdown when social structures disintegrate.

Critically acclaimed by The New York Times, this breakthrough work from the writing team of composer David T. Little (Soldier Songs, JFK) and Canadian librettist Royce Vavrek (Angel’s Bone, Listen, Quiet) put them on the map. They have since gone on, both together and in collaboration with others, to revolutionize opera in North America.

Brief Synopsis

In the wake of an unspecified war on American soil, a family’s world shrinks to basic survival. 13-year-old Lisa forms a complex bond with a mysterious man who appears to be living and acting like a dog, begging for scraps and refusing to speak. Her family faces a moral descent: as traditional society dissolves, they must decide what parts of their humanity they are willing to sacrifice to stay alive.