Pittsburgh Opera to Stage World Premiere That Tackles the Issue of School Violence

Left to Right: High school students in Anytown USA - Tyson, an injured football player (Erik Nordstrom); Bailey, a responsible and sweet spirit (Shannon Crowley); Alona, the new girl (Timothi Williams); José, an actor (Logan Wagner) Credit: David Bachman Photography

Classical opera most frequently lends itself to themes that discover human responses to love, tragedy, rivalry, revenge, heroism, often through the depiction of intense human emotion made even more vivid by powerful music and inventive narrative.

Contemporary opera often employs the same foundational themes but through the exploration of topical issues relative to today’s world.

In Pittsburgh Opera's upcoming world premiere production, Time to Act, the narrative couldn’t be timelier, or more vital, in its exposition of the ramifications of school violence.

Set in present-day America, the opera follows a group of high school students staging Sophocles’ Antigone, whose rehearsal process is upended by the arrival of a new student, Alona. When a school safety drill triggers the revelation of her deeply guarded secret, the story unfolds into a poignant examination of accountability, self-forgiveness, and healing.

In doing so, the opera strives to demonstrate the power of the performing arts to unite communities while confronting grief, trauma, and responsibility.

Yazid Gray as Robin Grace, the drama teacher  Courtesy Photo

One of five characters in the production, Yazid Gray sings the role of Robin Grace, the school’s drama teacher. His is the only role in the cast that doesn’t have a direct narrative connection to the characters in Sophocles’ Antigone.

As a Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist Alumnus. Gray has sung several roles for Pittsburgh opera including The Woodcutter/The Outlaw in the world premiere of In a Grove (Cerrone/Fleischmann), Policeman #3 in Blue, Soldier in Soldier Songs (Little), and Dizzy Gillespie in Charlie Parker’s Yardbird.

This season he’s appeared as Tommy McIntyre in Fellow Travelers and The Traveller in Curlew River. When he received notice that the opera offered him in the role the Drama Teacher in Time to Act a little over a year ago, he said the work was still in the process of development.

“I read copies of the libretto and saw that it deals with an important contemporary issue,” he said. “Because I enjoy performing with Pittsburgh Opera, it wasn’t a difficult decision to make to accept the role.”

While he’s comfortable with both classical and contemporary opera, Gray said he has already been in a couple of world premieres saying he loves the work that goes into producing it.

“With a world premiere, the first time the composer usually gets to hear the sung music is in rehearsal,” he said. “With Laura Kaminsky and Crystal Manich, the composer and librettist on hand, you can bounce questions off both, let them know how the music feels to the singer and work with them to produce the best possible outcome.”

Having Manich on hand to direct the work helps in the development of the characters because, as the librettist, he said she’s the one that knows them best and first hand.

As Robin, Gray said he’s created a project for the drama class to rewrite sections of the play in their own words so it’s relevant to today. It’s not a simple retelling of the original, but a reimagining of the story that rings true to a modern audience.

Gray sees his character as a figure they can bounce questions off, one that gives them a platform to express themselves and give them the freedom to be who they are.

“As Robin, one part that stands out is when the students talk about gun violence in schools in the area, and one of them says they’d rather not talk about it,” he said. “I remind the students how important it is to be able to express their feelings, and the student eventually comes around by getting involved in the discussion.”

One standout moment in the opera for him is an aria he sings in the initial scene when he talks about the original Sophocles’ play and the students interrupt him saying the story is so old and also ask why it has to be so tragic.

His answer is that they should become aware of how the play makes them feel and how to figure out how to listen to and connect with one another.

The baritone says the music for the roughly 90-minute-long opera is unique, at times very lyrical and sometimes very percussive (the orchestration calls for a pedal bass drum, floor tom-tom, snare drum, small tom-tom, hi-hat, vibraphone, congas, bongos, tam-tam, gongs and bass drum). Sometimes, he said, it also becomes very speechlike.

“It’s a big mixture, with elements of both grand opera and musical theater,” continued. “And I like to point out that each character has his or her own distinct sound.”

As to future productions, he said the other co-commissioners of Time to Act, which includes the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Opera Montana, and Opera Santa Barbara, will all be mounting future productions as well.

Originally from Gaithersburg, Maryland, he was musically influenced by his mother, a singer, and grandmother, a minister of music in various churches. He himself sang Gospel and in high school musicals. Eventually, his voice instructor interested him in the classical style technique.

When looking ahead to college, he said he was interested in learning voice pedagogy, auditioned for voice performance in college and has “continued forward ever since.”

Gray received his Bachelor of Music in Voice from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, and is a graduate of University of Michigan, where he received his Master of Music in Voice.

Always a big supporter of new and contemporary opera, he performed in both Fellow Travelers and In a Grove, a world premiere first mounted by Pittsburgh Opera.

Favorite past roles include his solo performance of Soldier Songs and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, both with Pittsburgh Opera. Soldier Songs, in particular, is very near and dear to his heart because he had relatives who went to war and are veterans and its music is very impactful to him.

“Cosi is also one of the funniest pieces to perform ensemble-wise,” he said. “The role always feels good in my body.”

On his bucket list of future roles is Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, a staple for baritones and a Mozart masterpiece. He’d also like to sing Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin sometime in the future.

“For one, I enjoy the challenge of tackling a different language,” he said. “It involves a lot of studying to get the text word for word in your mind. Onegin is a very complex character, and the music is very intricate with some great arias and ensembles.”

In April of 2026, Gray will sing as part of a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York that will include Mozart’s Mass in C Major, K. 317 "Coronation Mass" and Mozart’s Missa Brevis in D minor, K. 65.

“Performing at Carnegie Hall is a bucket list experience for any performer, and I’m excited to be able to perform on that prestigious stage,” Gray said.

Yazid Gray will sing in Pittsburgh Opera’s production of ‘Time to Act’ at the Bitz Opera Factory, 2425 Liberty Ave. in Pittsburgh’s Strip District on February 28 and March 3, 6, and 8. For tickets and more information, phone 412-456-6666.