Librettist

“Mildred and Richard Loving made my own family possible. What an honor and responsibility it is to be part of a team telling their story. Think for a moment about what they achieved—they were only two people and yet they stood up to legalized racism and enacted lasting change. Their story is an inspiration. And it’s also an opera! The vision they were working toward—equality, home, love—these subjects are part of opera’s vast terrain. I know that composer Damien Geter’s music will make us all feel—in new ways—the weight and importance of the Lovings’ contribution to racial justice in America.”

Composer

“As a native Virginian, the historical significance of Loving v. Virginia has remained with me since I was a teenager, but I’m finding there are many who are unfamiliar with this landmark case. Coming back home to Virginia and collaborating with Virginia Opera (the company where I first experienced opera) and working with Jessica Murphy Moo to tell the story of Mildred and Richard Loving is important not only for the sake of honoring their legacy, but also for ensuring the future of the art form.”

Director

“How the lived experience that is, at root, simply a celebration of love between a man and a woman became a Supreme Court case should ignite deep consideration for all freedom-loving Americans. And it should because of the almost unfathomable animosities and clear misunderstandings that still swirl in the ethos of American engagement today. That Loving v. Virginia is now receiving operatic treatment will, I believe, lift this unique and particular story for the broader arts appreciating public to experience and to consider.”