Monna Innominata is a miniature opera by Harriet Steinke, consisting of nine songs inspired by and named after the 19th century work by the Victorian poet Christina Rossetti (1830-1894).

Steinke reimagines Christina Rossetti’s sonnet cycle “Monna Innominata,” shifting the lens to the “Unnamed Woman” at the center of centuries of poetry. Blending text and song, the work turns the audience into the “Reader,” unraveling a story shaped by misreading, assumption, and a secret at its core.

As Harriet describes the piece, Monna Innominata “explores the structural, formal, and poetic consequences of misreading, mishearing, and assuming.”

The opera was a finalist for Beth Morrison Projects’ NEXTGEN3 competition and received a semi-staged production at National Sawdust in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

PERFORMERS
Monna Innominata No. 1, has a secret: Danielle Wertz
Monna Innominata No. 2, cannot remember: Alex Koi
Monna Innominata No. 3, dreams of you: Molly Yuko McGuire
Monna Innominata No. 4, loved you first: Emily Geller
Piano: Max Hammond
Percussion: Makana Medeiros
Violin: Jeanel Liang, Katarina Quartet
Violin: Jérôme Chiasson, Katarina Quartet
Viola: Celia Morin, Katarina Quartet
Cello: Maya Enstad, Katarina Quartet

PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Nina Goodheart
Music Director: Kazem Abdullah
Assistant Music Director: Danielle Jagelski
Stage Manager: Jenna Rowell
Lighting Designer: Paige Seber
Costume Designer: Olivia Vaughn Hern
Projections Designer: Camilla Tassi
Producer: Beth Morrison Projects