A story of pioneers and family, racism and white privilege, the contemporary epidemics of houselessness and addiction, and the changing roles of religion and skepticism. It’s a Eugene, Oregon, story with sushi, cussing, a smidgen of LSD, and of course, the Roving Park Players. It is the story of the making of an opera.

Derek Lamson, John Williams, and Brandon Buerkle take a new and completely contemporary look at the story of the Gadarene Demoniac, found in the Gospel of Mark, in this fast-paced, Oregon-based re-telling from the perspective of the unnamed man chained to a tomb. Any American witnessing the national epidemic of houselessness, drug abuse, and mental illness will recognize that this story is our story.