You are the witches: The audience as collective accused in Renegade Opera's staging of Ashi Day's "Waking the Witch" * Oregon ArtsWatch

"Witches have always fascinated us, but today our fascinations are filtered through television, film and social media. One need not look deep into TikTok or Pinterest to find a whole world of " whimsigoth" aesthetic influencers, reveling in neo-gothic clothing, elaborate jewelry, black lipstick and fishnets. The show Wednesday, the latest in the Addams Family franchise, made Jenna Ortega a Hollywood star."

"This renewed interest in witchcraft is part of a broader phenomenon of rebellion and discontent with secular modernism. Astrology, tarot, and other sorts of esoterica alongside witchcraft act as an escape from a society that can feel increasingly controlled by rationality and technology, into a world of spiritual fulfillment. But again, reclaiming these forms of spirituality does not necessarily delve into the lived history of those who were accused of practicing it."

"Witches have appeared as characters in countless operas, especially in Wagner and Verdi's works. Sister chamber opera organization New Wave Opera delved into the history last year with their staging of Lisa Neher's She Conjures, which also digs into the darker history of the witch hunts. She Conjures and Waking the Witch extend beyond using witches as characters within a supernatural story, and deal with the real-life consequences of witchcraft."

Renegade Opera celebrates its five-year anniversary with a full production of Ashi Day's Waking the Witch, presented September 5–7 at the Chapel Theater in Milwaukie. The immersive chamber opera traces the history of witch hunts from medieval Europe through the Salem trials to contemporary parallels. Modern fascination with witches appears in television, film and social media, including whimsigoth aesthetics on TikTok and Pinterest, Netflix's Wednesday and the Harry Potter phenomenon. Contemporary interest in witchcraft, astrology and tarot functions as a response to secular modernism and technological control. Waking the Witch and New Wave Opera’s She Conjures confront the darker, real-life consequences faced by accused women.

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