DIRECTOR'S NOTE Alexander the Great liberates the tiny kingdom of Sidon from a tyrant usurper and looks to restore the throne to the one true king . . . but where is the rightful heir? Just before he was put to death, the king hid his baby daughter, Aminta, with a shepherd and his family. She has grown up working on a sheep farm, with no idea of who she actually is and where her destiny lies. When faced with her true identity, Aminta has to make a choice—will she ascend the throne, or will she keep her promise and marry her childhood sweetheart, Elisa, and live the simple life? This is the premise of Mozart’s comic fable, Il Re Pastore. Our production is set in the Pan-Mediterranean present and wrestles with timely questions about authenticity, identity, gender roles, and what makes a good, just leader. The question at the heart of this opera—can you be true to yourself and thrive in the public sphere?—is just as timely now as it was 200 years ago. Mozart masterfully brings to life this comic tale of young love and royalty in disguise with his own unique ability to plumb the depths of the human soul.