UW-Led Medical Opera Event Brings Health and the Arts Together Oct. 23-24

A University of Wyoming production will bring together medicine, the arts and the Laramie community in October with the premiere of “Hurting, Healing, Hoping: A Trio of Medical Operas,” part of Laramie’s inaugural Health and Healing Arts Month.

Laramie Mayor Sharon Cumbie issued a proclamation Tuesday, Sept. 15, declaring October 2026 as Health and Healing Arts Month. The proclamation recognizes the importance of physical and mental health; Laramie’s healthcare community; and the role of the sciences, arts and humanities in supporting healthy and vibrant communities.

It also specifically recognizes “Hurting, Healing, Hoping: A Trio of Medical Operas,” which will premiere Friday-Saturday, Oct. 23-24, 7 p.m., at the Gryphon Theatre in the Laramie Plains Civic Center. The production brings together UW faculty and other members of the university community, with professional musicians from the region and community partners to explore the experiences of patients, caregivers and healthcare providers.

“I invite all residents to attend the world premiere of ‘Hurting, Healing, Hoping: A Trio of Medical Operas’ Oct. 23 and 24 to honor all those who contribute to creating a vibrant community,” Cumbie says in the proclamation.

The librettos/lyrics of the three short operas were written by Jeffrey A. Lockwood, UW professor emeritus of natural sciences and humanities, with the music written by Michael Udow, a renowned composer and former member of the Santa Fe Opera. The operas grew out of his experience accompanying his son through 108 days of hospitalization and therapies following a near-fatal car accident. The experience prompted Lockwood to reflect on the medical, emotional and philosophical challenges of trauma and recovery and to explore those experiences through the performing arts.

The resulting work consists of three approximately 20-minute operas: “The Waiting Room: Being Patient,” which explores the uncertainty and fear surrounding medical crises; “Being There: A Prescription,” which examines pain, caregiving and the limits of medical knowledge; and “Kintsugi: Golden Seams in Cracked Vessels,” which considers the physical and emotional dimensions of recovery.

The production brings together the medical and performing arts to explore questions of fear, hope, pain, despair, trust and healing. It is designed for a broad audience, including the general public, patients and caregivers, and members of the medical community. 

“Beautiful music that engages minds and hearts in a historic setting shared by all of Laramie. What better way to come together as a community?” Lockwood says.

Magdalena Wór, a UW assistant professor of voice, is the production’s soprano. The chamber orchestra includes UW professors John Fadial, violin; Jiwon Han, piano; Beth Vanderborgh, cello; and lecturer Ross McIntosh, viola.

The production has received major support from the UW offices of the president and provost and the UW Department of Psychology, which supported the project in recognition of the perspectives on mental health woven throughout the operas alongside their exploration of physical health and medicine. Additional funding has been provided by UniWyo Federal Credit Union, Ivinson Memorial Hospital and the Confluence Health Foundation in Washington, as well as nearly 80 individuals who contributed through a Spotfund campaign.

With production costs supported through these contributions, $20 of each $23.95 ticket price, including taxes and fees, will benefit Laramie’s Downtown Clinic. The clinic also will host the reception following the Oct. 23 performance. After the production Oct. 24, there will be a facilitated discussion. 

Tickets for the Oct. 23 performance can be purchased here or for Oct. 24 here.

For more information about this event, email Lockwood at Lockwood@uwyo.edu.