Better Gods [opera in one act] - Libretto

Using the operatic genre as a platform, the libretto for Better Gods highlights the historical events surrounding Queen Lili’uokalani’s overthrow and indirectly comments on the complexities of Hawaii’s modern-day sovereignty movement. The work focuses on three seminal episodes during Liliu’okalani’s short reign: her decision to implement a new constitution and the subsequent coup d’état in 1893, her efforts to sway public opinion in her favour in 1894, and her trial for treason following the unsuccessful revolution of her supporters in 1895. As a framing device for each of these seminal scenes, the libretto incorporates Hawaiian text from the traditional Kumulipo, a 2,101-line chant that describes the creation of the world over a single cosmic night. Commissioned as part of Washington National Opera's American Opera Initiative, a fully-staged production of Better Gods premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in January 2016.