Siddhartha, She: A Ritual Music Drama in Seven Tableaux

This poetic reimagining of Herman Hesse's beloved classic novel explores the timeless questions that concern us all. Where does sensual love fit into a path of spiritual seeking? Can truth be taught, or must it be lived? How do we transcend suffering? And most importantly, how can we find the eternal within our fleeting lives? These questions lead Siddhartha from material comfort to self-denial to self-indulgence, to self-awareness, and, finally, beyond self altogether.


Created for master composer Christopher Theofanidis, Siddhartha, She was commissioned by The Aspen Music Festival and School; Yale University Glee Club and Yale Choral Artists; and the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.


"The somewhat archaic, allegorical mode in which Hesse writes is considerably updated for a modern audience in Melissa Studdard’s libretto, which switches between witty banter and dialogue and a lush, elevated poetic style" - Dr. Jane Isabelle Forner


"I am utterly spellbound—head over heels, heart in hand" - Dr. Vivek Tailor


"Siddhartha, She suggests that spiritual awakening is not something amputated from everyday life; it does not purify us of our desires, aversions, and follies, but in some way embraces them." - Phil Ford


"So much beautiful writing here!! Wow--the best of persona I've seen in a long time and of course, I love that Siddhartha is a woman!" - Elena Karina Byrne