Tiziana DellaRovere, librettist for "Dreams Have No Borders."

An opera originally scheduled to open in Ashland as a semi-staged production in April of 2020, but vetoed by COVID-19, is set to debut at last — as a film.

Inspired by the real-life stories of Latin American immigrants in the Rogue Valley, “Dreams Have No Borders” will premiere at Ashland’s Varsity Theatre with screenings scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 22, and 3 p.m. Sunday, June 23.

The opera was created by two local artists, composer Ethan Gans-Morse and librettist Tiziana DellaRovere. It is the third operatic collaboration for the duo.

Performing in the film are three Grammy-winning singers, the Delgani String Quartet and the Teokalli Aztec Dancers, with stage direction by Oregon Cabaret Theatre’s Valerie Rachelle, and film direction by three-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jan Thompson. The film’s producer is Ashland non-profit Anima Mundi Productions.

Two other events are scheduled in addition to the screenings.

There will be a panel discussion at 6 p.m. Friday, June 21, at El Tapatio restaurant, 1633 Highway 99, in Ashland. Moderated by Teresa Cisneros of Southern Oregon Education Service District, the panel comprises Virginia Camberos of Unite Oregon, Alma Rosa Alvarez of Southern Oregon University, Medford artist Adrian Chavez and Alvaro Tellez, the Aztec dancer who plays a non-singing role in the opera.

‘Free food’

“The event is free and open to the public with free food,” Gans-Morse said. Reservations are required. Interested persons may call 541-333-3066, ext. 4, to sign up.

On Sunday, June 23, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. following the film screening, there will be a free art show and reception at Art & Soul Ashland gallery, 247 E. Main St., Ashland. Visitors can view art created by teens in the Forward Youth program under the mentorship of artist Adrian Chavez and meet the artists.

A commissioned piece by Chavez titled with the film’s name will be on exhibit at the gallery all weekend.

It’s been a long journey for Gans-Morse and DellaRovere. The original stage production was postponed when COVID-19 hit, and postponed again when the pandemic persisted.

A learning experience

The first attempt to film the opera took place in August of 2021.

“We rented Camelot Theatre in Talent and flew in 10 performers,” Gans-Morse said. “We had everyone in quarantine and tested for COVID every day.”

Making things worse was an uptick in wildfire smoke that month.

“It was brutal for our singers,” he said. “We had them performing for upwards of 6 to 8 hours a day for five days straight. Every time they stepped outside, they had to put on N95 ventilator masks.”

When the film was finished, they realized it didn’t have enough visual interest.

“It was a gorgeous stage performance, but it didn’t feel cinematic,” Gans-Morse said.

In 2023, they brought in a second film company, Valhalla Media, which helped them produce a second film and took over all post-production from there.

The first phase — collecting the stories and creating the piece — was mostly grant funded. The second stage was made possible by funding from the late local philanthropist, James Collier.

Grammy winners

The opera’s featured singers are soprano Esteli Gomez, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte and tenor David M. Sanchez — all Grammy Award winners.

“We were so fortunate to work with such exceptional talent,” Gans-Morse said.

The vocalists were appreciated not only for the quality of their voices, but also for providing insight into both the story and music because of their cultural connections.

“We actually took the libretto to them before we even started on the music,” Gans-Morse said.

The Delgani String Quartet, based in Eugene, provides the orchestral music. It has been called “the state’s finest chamber ensemble” by Oregon ArtsWatch.

Librettist DellaRovere approached the project as more than just collecting stories.

“I was there to learn from them as well,” she said.

She wanted to demonstrate her trustworthiness to those she interviewed.

“It was about listening with the heart and not just with the mind,” she said. “It’s about being a witness.”

At the end, she not only had a collection of moving stories, but also many new friends with whom she feels a deep sense of community.

The 90-minute film will be entered into a number of film festivals and competitions, Gans-Morse said, and will be offered free to community non-profits for their own public screenings.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to humanitytickets.com or call 541-833-3066. “Please do not call the Varsity Theatre,” Gans-Morse said.