Opera Praktikos stages accessible La Sonnambula
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Opera Praktikos, a New York City company, will premiere its interabled production of La Sonnambula on November 18, 2026, at National Sawdust in Brooklyn.
The company, founded in 2021, focuses on disability-affirmative opera, integrating accessibility into all aspects of production. This 90-minute, one-act performance of Bellini and Romani’s bel canto opera will be sung in Italian, signed in American Sign Language, and feature projected English supertitles.
The production stars Deaf actress Treshelle Edmond as Lisa and soprano Aja Nile-Brimm as Amina, and it uses the story of sleepwalking to represent the challenges people with disabilities face in being understood. Opera Praktikos deliberately includes American Sign Language and Deaf culture within the opera itself, rather than adding interpretation as an afterthought.
Brandon Kazen-Maddox will lead ASL conducting and musical integration, while Patrice Creamer, a pioneer of Deaf theatrical interpretation on Broadway, serves as Director of Artistic Sign Language. The company received funding from OPERA America, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, signaling growing support for accessible arts programming. The production aims to be a model for other opera companies seeking to create inclusive performances.
