About this project
Set on the HMS Annelid (a discovery ship in the spirit of Charles Darwin’s HMS Beagle intermarried with Jules Verne’s Nautilus) this operetta surfs late 19th-century science, history, and geography in a spirited and salacious romp on the high seas worthy of Gilbert and Sullivan.
In this alternate future, the American Colonies have seen the error their ways and reunited with their Fair Queen. All of creation is “subject” to inquiry. The opera takes place during a Inspection by the Queen on the Annelid’s return from a Homeric and triumphant exploration of far-flung corners of the map, now loaded down with newly discovered, exotic specimens.
Pirate lasses mutiny, womenfolk can’t keep their petticoats down, contraptions impressively malfunction, and frank discussions of anatomy are all in a day’s work while in service to Her Majesty the Queen.
Please support us in the first of two phases of creation! Help give these characters a voice by helping us raise $3,000 - 5,000 so that our visionary artists can lay the foundation for a truly compelling and enthralling opera.
James von Hegner of the The Great New England Steampunk Exhibition has offered a 1-to-1 matching grant for any amount we raise between three and five thousand dollars. So your contributions will be immediately doubled if we can meet the minimum Kickstarter goal of $3,000. Any amount above 3,000 will still be matched by Jim up to 5,000 - which could bring the steampunk opera project a total of $10,000 in all. This would be enough to pay the artists, even! Which in turn would allow us to continue working towards the full production in 2012.
The "preview" for 2011 consists of multiple scenes from Act one -- adding up to approximately 20 minutes of original music and about 30 minutes of show time. As you can see in the video, we've made considerable progress on the costumes already, but we still need to finish them and the props, gadgets, gizmos, and contraptions, too.
Come with us and change the face of opera!
Please join us at inventingearth.org and become part of our growing international community of artists, scientists, scholars, and other creatives.
FAQ
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Prop and gizmo designer extraordinaire Ryan Lunt is a maker in the steampunk tradition based near Phoenix, Arizona. For more information on Ryan, check out his profile and photos of recent works at http://inventingearth.org/page/ryan-lunt-prop-and-theatrical
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Poet, playwright, opera singer, dancer, costumer, and visual artist Mary Lin is a co-founder of Inventing Earth working in collaboration with Ben Sargent on several large-scale performance works in the operatic tradition. Read more about Mary and her many projects at http://inventingearth.org/
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Composer, entrepreneur, and language technology industry analyst Ben Sargent is a co-founder of Inventing Earth working in collaboration with Mary Lin on several large-scale performance works in the operatic tradition. Read more about Ben's musical background at http://inventingearth.org/page/ben-sargent
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Steampunk returns the modern psyche to the Romantic era, where the Industrial Age is still in full gear. Science and technology are seen as dazzling hopes for humanity, even while artists and philosophers continue to react to the evils of industrialism with the Rousseau-like idealization of nature carried over from the Enlightenment of the previous centuries.
In modern times, we realize that science and technology industries have perpetuated great wrongs, particularly against nature, with in some cases dire, unintended consequences. Steampunk takes us back to a time of greater innocence and idealism, to those moments when decisions could have been made to move the fate of the earth and humanity in a different direction. Steampunk allows the psyche to get it right; to blend art and science towards a more harmonious result.
Steampunk also empowers the individual to give it a go, to make their own contribution to the good of the whole. In the Victorian era, science was practiced in the main by individual and small groups of observers and experimenters, generally, we imagine, with a grand sense of adventure. Think Admiral Perry at the pole; Charles Darwin and HMS Beagle’s journey to Galapagos; archaeological excavations of Pompeii and the Great Pyramid in Egypt; and perhaps more to the point, the science fiction of the time, offering us Jules Verne navigating the Nautilus through the dangerous deeps.
In the Steampunked universe, natural history and the arts of observation and exploration, and hands-on tinkering reign supreme, fueled by the Enlightenment-era belief in the power of the individual to parse nature and understand its deeper principles and truths....
Read the rest of our steampunk manifesto here: http://inventingearth.org/page/why-steampunk-manifesto
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on July 1, 2011.
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Send us your pic, saucy or steamy, and we'll post your photo to our Gallerie of Rogues and Scurvy Lasses and list you as a donor on our main site, http://inventingearth.org
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Listing and a photo of your scurvey self in the Gallerie of Rogues and Lasses, AND a boxed, One-of-a-Kind Handmade Vintage Rhinestone Hair Jewel made from antique jewelry. Sold in galleries across the country for many years - you will love these!
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Listing and a photo of your scurvey self in the Gallerie of Rogues and Lasses, AND a Men's Lavender Sachet with lavender grown in Mary & Ben's garden (if quantities hold out!) Keep that sock drawer smelling fresh!
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Decorated Magnet Tin (Altoids)
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Listing and a photo of your scurvey self in the Gallery of Rogues and Lasses, AND You'll love this beautiful vintage-style monocle with chain. Comes with gift box or bag.
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Listing and a photo of your scurvey self in the Gallery of Rogues and Lasses, AND One-of-a-Kind Handmade Angelina Rose French clip Barrette collaged with intricate, tiny portraits, flowers, and other vintage and reproduction images. Sold in galleries across the country for many years - you won't be dissapointed!
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Listing and a photo of your scurvey self in the Gallerie of Rogues and Lasses, AND extra special, larger size pocket watch on a brass fob, gift boxed or bagged. Some of these have unusual details like glass back to view the workings, etc.
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Listing and a photo of your scurvey self in the Gallery of Rogues and Lasses, AND brass Pocket Watch with chain. The watches have been so popular we've added more! Comes with gift box or bag.
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Bath Bombs (4) in a Vintage Tin
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Listing & your photo in the Gallerie of Rogues and Lasses, AND Original Art (drawing and/or collage). Photos coming soon - you'll love these unique visions from the minds of our collaborators.
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Listing and photo in the Gallerie of Rogues and Lasses, AND One-of-a-Kind Matted Original Art (drawing, collage, and/or original photo printed on antique linens) Photos coming soon - you'll love these unique visions from the minds of our collaborators. You will be able to choose the one you'd like from our online gallery - we'll send details.
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Listing and photo in the Gallerie of Rogues and Lasses, AND a Top Hat created by our clever team of Makers-Costumiers, all in the distinctive Queen Victoria's Floating Garden Edwardian Alchemist style.
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Listing and photo in the Gallerie of Rogues and Lasses, AND a one of a kind piece of artwork a shadowbox Alchemical Thime Machine by Mary Lin, incorporating curious and clever objects from the past and (dare we say it) Future of Your Imaginings.
Project By
Connected as Ben Sargent (640 friends)
Mary Lin and Ben Sargent have set out to inspire and heal communities through art, opera and education. The two collaborated first on writing the libretto and score for The Greenest Branch, an opera based on the life of Hildegard von Bingen. Now, the collaborating artists are at work on a steampunk opera, called Queen Victoria’s Floating Garden of Secrets and Natural Wonders. For examples of our work and current projects, see http://inventingearth.org/page/projects-1.
Mary's bio: http://inventingearth.org/page/about-mary-lin
Ben's bio: http://inventingearth.org/page/ben-sargent
Ryan Lunt bio: http://inventingearth.org/page/ryan-lunt-prop-and-theatrical
