Columbia College Chicago Theatre Dept. Alum Directs 2 Operas About ‘Barrier-Breaking Women in STEM’ Running Sept. 17-Oct. 3

Rose Freeman

Rose Freeman

Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department alum Rose Freeman ’07, a graduate of the Theatre Department‘s Theatre Directing program, is directing the opening production of the Third Eye Theatre Ensemble‘s eighth season — a double bill of one-act operas running September 17 through October 3 at the Edge Theatre, located at 5451 N. Broadway in Chicago’s Edgewater/Andersonville Theatre District.

The double bill consists of the midwest premiere of The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace, by Kamala Sankaram and Rob Handel, and Elizabeth Rudolph’s newly commissioned mini-opera Petticoats and Sliderules. For tickets, click here.

Rose Freeman is a teacher, director, and producer whose specialties in theatrical direction include space-generated theatre, burlesque, and opera. After graduating with a B.A. from Columbia College Chicago’s Theatre Directing program, she received her M.F.A. from Temple University in Philadelphia, where she participated in Temple’s inaugural Music Theatre Collaboration program. She also describes herself as a “recovering stage manager.”

“As we return to making live theatre, we are overcome with gratitude for the tireless work of those in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) who have made our return possible,” says Third Eye Theatre Ensemble in announcing the production. “This season we feature Ada Lovelace and Dr. Lois Graham, two barrier-breaking women in STEM who, among many others, paved the way for the scientific achievements of this past year. In addition to their intellectually ground-breaking work, these two women also broke gender barriers within the fields of mathematics and engineering. In Kamala Sankaram and Rob Handel’s The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace, a mathematical genius escapes the shadow of her scandal-ridden father and the expectations of how a woman ought to behave. In Elizabeth Rudolph’s Petticoats and Sliderules, Dr. Lois Graham circumvents university gender barriers to become the first American woman to receive a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. She goes on to dedicate herself not only to her field, but also to increasing the number of women pursuing careers in STEM.”

Third Eye Theatre Ensemble presents quality productions of new or seldom performed operatic works that inspire conversation while advocating for human rights and social justice. Third Eye strives to captivate audiences through intimate, black box interpretations that spur the imagination and create conversations that last long after the performance.