The Baldwin Wallace fall opera plays into the Halloween season with Henry Purcell’s tragic opera, “Dido and Aeneas” based on Virgil’s “Aeneid”, and encourages the audience to dress in costume when attending.

Kathryn Frady, the executive director of Marble City Opera in Tennessee joins the BW community as a special guest director. Sophomore mezzo-soprano Elaine Hudson is taking on one of the title roles, as Dido.

“Dido is a dignified and dedicated monarch,” said Hudson. “She fears that love will make her too vulnerable and needs a lot of convincing to trust Aeneas.”

The rehearsal process comes in two parts: the vocal rehearsal and the staging.

Hudson is continuing to dive into the musical and contextual nuances that define Dido as a ruler and as a woman.

“I’m also excited to explore and dig into the role of Dido,” she said.

In contrast, it is up to the Sorceress to destroy Dido and her land, Carthage. Junior soprano Rosie Kamara takes on this role. “I am eager to take a step outside my comfort zone for this role and experience the ways in which I can grow as a person and as a performer,” said Kamara.

The opera is not all doom and gloom, senior soprano Kat Davies plays the role of Belinda, Dido’s sister and confidante. Davies said she is excited to learn a lead role and be the opera’s source of optimism.

In the opera, Belinda believes that a marriage between Dido and Aeneas would be good for Carthage and solve many problems. “Dido and Aeneas” plays in three acts in English.

“Regardless if you’re seeing an opera for the first time or your 50th time, this opera tells a story that captivates an audience and shares baroque music at its finest,” said Kamara.

The opera shows on Oct. 23-24 at 7 p.m. at the Red Space on Superior Avenue East.

This production is presented in two acts with one intermission.

It will be sung in the original English text and lasts about two hours.

BW students can get tickets for $15 at www.bw.edu.