“Small is the new grand opera.” So said Artistic Director Timothy Nelson prior to the performance of Only The Air I attended last weekend, and time and time again IN Series has demonstrated the power of that idea. This production was no exception.
Perfectly-timed with the season of Lent, Only The Air is part of the company’s “Passion Plays” festival. This first of three works being featured had music from Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, yet with only a quartet of singers, one actor, and a pianist.
It worked.
The first advantage this production had was the venue. Dupont Underground has amazing acoustics, a natural reverberation of sound that is haunting. This not only helped facilitate the singers filling the space with their sound, but also creating different effects, such as at the end when they traveled behind the audience and we heard them as though they were far away.
But such an advantage as a good acoustical space could not be fully realized without top-notch performers, and that is what Nelson, who also directed the piece, chose for his cast. Actor William Matson began the show with some narration, and immediately I was struck by the fact that he was telling the Passion narrative using the second person, inviting us to take the perspective of Jesus and, for one thing, think about the possibility of being betrayed. In the talkback after the performance it was explained that this was not part of the original idea of the show, but as the writer worked he realized this could be a tool for us to hear the narrative differently.
As for the singers, the amazing Elizabeth Mondragon opened the show with the first aria, “Buss und Reu” as translated for the show. Incidentally, I thought the new texts by Joshua Borths and Shana Oshiro were wonderful and impressive, especially in how they meshed with the nineteenth-century translation being used for the chorales, each one a different verse of the Passion Chorale, “O Sacred Head.”
Mondragon is a performer who commits to every moment, and in this piece she stood out in particular for her reactions during her second aria, which in the original piece is “Erbarme dich, mein Gott.” It is the moment when Peter realizes that Jesus’s prophecy has come true, that he denied him three times before the cock crowed. Accordingly, Mondragon was the picture of guilt, at first looking like she was going to vomit for horror at the situation, then shifting gently to praying.
Mondragon also had some great duet moments with soprano Colleen Daly. I loved their voices together, and Daly brought not only a lovely, clear, silvery soprano to her singing, but also a beautiful, comforting, steadfast composure to her stage presence that nailed the feeling one should have in listening to and watching an oratorio soloist.
Tenor Joe Haughton and bass Carl Dupont rounded out the quartet, and I loved their interactions. Although it varied a bit and the cast explained at the talkback that they weren’t really directed to inhabit characters in the traditional sense, I did get the feeling that Dupont was Jesus and Haughton was Judas, especially during the first bass aria when Haughton emanated regret as he listened and watched. Then, during Dupont’s second aria, Haughton took the empty orange jumpsuit that was the central prop for the show from its place on stage, put it over his shoulders, and ultimately acted out hanging himself with it.
On top of his stellar acting, Haughton’s powerful tenor voice dominated the space in his solos, and, consistent with the rest of the cast, balanced well with the other voices in the group numbers. Important to note here is also Nelson’s thoughtful voicing of each group number, as often such numbers started as a solo that then expanded into four voices and back to one, or solos that handed off one to another.
Finally among the singers, Carl Dupont as the bass soloist demonstrated his passion for communicating authentically that he named in the talkback, both in his clarity of tone and in his diction. I hope to see him in more productions throughout the region soon.
Last and certainly not least, accolades must be given to Joy Schreier on the piano. An amazing pianist that was obviously born to play Bach, her playing was not only beautiful but also in service of the drama. She mentioned during the talkback that what she is most passionate about is getting to collaborate and perform with other artists, and in listening to her with this cast, one can tell.
Overall, this is a unique take on the St. Matthew Passion that makes one think and challenges how we might previously have thought about the Passion narrative, from the different voicings of the chorales to the street clothing costumes that made me think about what it would be like if the Passion occurred in our present day. I hope IN Series considers producing this each year, as it deserves to be seen, heard, and considered in the same vein as the Passion narrative read on Palm Sunday and Good Friday.
Maggie Ramsey
Only The Air
Music by J.S. Bach after the St. Matthew Passion
New Text by Joshua Borths and Shana Oshiro
Cast and Production Staff:
Narrator – William Matson; Soprano – Colleen Daly; Alto – Elizabeth Mondragon; Tenor – Joseph Haughton; Bass – Carl Dupont
Director – Timothy Nelson; Music Director and Pianist – Joy Schreier; Lighting Designer – Trinity Joseph; Stage Manager & Lightboard Operator – Mikayla Talbert
Dupont Underground, Washington, D.C., March 7, 2026
Top image: Joy Schreier
All photos courtesy of IN Series