Good Country (with composer Keith Allegretti)

by Cecelia Raker

A chamber opera about a trans stagecoach driver during the California Gold Rush. On a fateful night in 1861, a barmaid and a driver find out some catawomptiously strange things about each other. Will they keep each other’s secrets? Good Country was workshopped at UT Austin’s Cohen New Works Festival in April 2019 starring internationally-acclaimed baritone Holden Madagame. Cecelia and composer Keith Allegretti...

A chamber opera about a trans stagecoach driver during the California Gold Rush. On a fateful night in 1861, a barmaid and a driver find out some catawomptiously strange things about each other. Will they keep each other’s secrets? Good Country was workshopped at UT Austin’s Cohen New Works Festival in April 2019 starring internationally-acclaimed baritone Holden Madagame. Cecelia and composer Keith Allegretti are one of the first teams ever to craft a lead role in opera specifically for trans* singer’s voices.

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Good Country (with composer Keith Allegretti)

Character Information

The two main roles must be played by a trans* man (tenor or mezzo soprano) and a woman of color (soprano). The three supporting roles are a man of any race (tenor), a white or Chinese man (baritone), and a woman of any race (soprano).


In addition to the characters listed below, the opera calls for:
A "BAND" in the saloon, consisting of the instruments that orchestrate the opera: 2 violins, viola, cello, clarinet, piano


SUPERNUMERARIES and TECH folks, the “staff” and patrons of the saloon.
  • Charley
    A dignified man in his 50s, assigned female at birth. Cast flexibly based on gender identity of the singer—ideally a trans man; at least a singer who identifies as nonbinary or genderqueer. The score contains ossia options for mezzo and tenor, with awareness of how transition can affect the voice with or without the use of HRT. He wears an eye-patch over one eye.

    In real life, Charley Parkhurst was white--doesn't necessarily mean you need to cast him with a white actor.
    30-60
    Any
    Trans man
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male,
      Non-binary
  • Barmaid
    An entrepreneur, formerly a sex worker, 30s. A woman of color. Soprano. Historically, sex workers and woman restaurant-owners like the Barmaid were historically mostly Chinese, South American, White, or Native American in California during this time period. There is less documentation of other women of color in those roles.
    25-40
    Chinese,
    native american,
    Latina,
    White
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Husband
    A former miner, a hard man, 30s. Tenor.
    Historically, miners like the Husband were Chinese, Latino, or White; less frequently also Black and Native American.
    25-40
    Chinese,
    Latino,
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Doctor
    A medical doctor, blustery, 25-70. Baritone.

    Medical doctors during the California Gold Rush were almost all White or Chinese.
    25-70
    White,
    Chinese,
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      South Asian or South Asian American,
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Lady
    A proper young lady, 16-35. Soprano.
    16-40
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female

Development History

  • Workshop, LOLA (Local Opera Local Artists Austin TX), 2020

Production History

  • University, 2019