Shedding Light on Dark Sisters
Emmaus Lutheran Church’s Fellowship Hall
1250 W 18th Ave, Eugene
Monday, May 19, 6:30pm
FREE WITH REGISTRATION
Join us for a community panel discussion, “Shedding Light on Dark Sisters,” featuring experts from law, journalism, philosophy, and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, alongside representatives from local service organizations such as Hope and Safety Alliance and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). Together, we will explore the deeper themes of Dark Sisters, the contemporary opera by Nico Muhly.
Topics of discussion will include: patriarchy, polygamy, child marriage, domestic abuse, religious liberty versus child protection, the role of journalism in whistleblowing, and opera as a vehicle for marginalized voices and personal expression.
The 90-minute event will include panelist presentations, a group discussion, and an audience Q&A. Jennifer Reynolds, Dean of the University of Oregon School of Law, will moderate a panel of experts, including:
- Nathan Troup, Stage Director for Dark Sisters
- Cynthia Ochoa Cuevas, Community Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator, Hope and Safety Alliance
- Leslie Harris, Professor Emerita, University of Oregon School of Law
- Bonnie Mann, Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Oregon
- Gabriela Martínez, Professor, Journalism and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, University of Oregon
- Anice Thigpen, Composer, A-Squared Productions
- Chrissa Dockendorf, Intake and Case Manager, CASA
Panelists:
Leslie Harris
Leslie Harris is the Dorothy Kliks Fones Professor of Law emerita at the University of Oregon. She taught Children and the Law, Family Law, Criminal Law, and Elder Law. She has written law review articles about the child welfare system, nontraditional families, family support duties, and property rights at divorce and is the co-author of textbooks on Family Law and Children and the Law which are widely used throughout the U.S. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute and was one of the first recipients of the law school's Orlando John Hollis Faculty Teaching Award.
Anice Thigpen
Anice Thigpen’s formal education was in biochemistry and molecular genetics, but she has benefited throughout her life from music education. As an amateur musician, she began to study composition with Larry Wayte around the age of fifty-five. Since then, writing and producing music has become part of her daily life. Her composition credits include: 2017, The Woman of Salt (a Chamber Opera); 2019, It’s a Fearful Thing (2 sopranos and String Quartet); and in 2022, Now is the Winter (3 vocalists, cello, viola and piano); 2022, Birds Flying Through, a musical drama; and set to premier this month is WaterWorks for 4 soloists, chorus and a chamber orchestra.
Chrissa Dockendorf
Chrissa Dockendorf is the Intake and Early Intervention Case Manager at CASA of Lane County, where she plays a pivotal role supporting foster youth and advocating for their well-being. In this position, she works directly with children and families involved in the child welfare system, providing essential early intervention and advocacy services to ensure that each child's voice is heard and their needs are met. With over a decade of experience across the arts, nonprofit management, and child welfare sectors, Chrissa is deeply committed to bridging these areas to create meaningful, sustainable change.
Gabriela Martínez
Professor Gabriela Martínez is an international award-winning documentary filmmaker who has produced, directed, or edited more than 12 ethnographic and social documentaries.
In addition to her documentary work, Martínez is a scholar who specializes in international communication and the political economy of communication. She also analyzes historical, political, cultural, and economic connections highlighting the longstanding connection of this region to other countries and continents around the globe.
Professor Martínez has served as associate director for the Center for the Study of Women in Society (CSWS). She is a professor in the School of Journalism and Communication and affiliated faculty with the Latin American Studies Program (LAS), Cinema Studies Department, and the Folklore and Public Culture Program.
VENUE:
Emmaus Lutheran Church’s Fellowship Hall
1250 W 18th Ave, Eugene