Thérèse Raquin

About

Originally directed by Francesca Zambello and re-created in San Diego by Herbert Kellner, this San Diego Opera staging of Tobias Picker’s Thérèse Raquin emphasized psychological tension through bold visual and mechanical effects. Marie-Jeanne Lecca’s two-tiered period set dramatically split apart following the central murder, underscoring the rupture in the characters’ lives. The pivotal drowning was staged with a raised rowboat and a suspended high-wire simulation of the Seine, heightening the sense of peril and complicity. After the crime, the couple’s unraveling was mirrored scenically as a tilted wall behind their bed bled torrents of water. Mark McCullough’s atmospheric lighting further intensified the claustrophobic mood and moral decay. Together, these elements created a stark, expressionistic environment that aligned with the opera’s relentless trajectory.