Chicago, IL — June 3, 2025

She Who Dared had its world premiere last week at Studebaker Theater in Chicago, bringing a fresh, untold side of history to the stage.

It's the first full-length opera professionally produced in the U.S. that was fully written by two Black women—composer Jasmine Arielle Barnes and librettist Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton.

The story follows seven African-American women pivotal to the Montgomery bus boycott—Aurelia Browder, Claudette Colvin, Susie McDonald, Mary Louise Smith, Jeanetta Reese, Jo Ann Robinson, and Rosa Parks—whose collective actions led to Browder v. Gayle, ending bus segregation.

The plot unfolds through character-driven scenes: solo introspections, ensemble interactions, and courtroom moments. It shows how each woman—like Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat at just 15, and Jo Ann Robinson, who helped organize the boycott—played a unique role.

The score mixes classical opera with gospel, soul, and protest-era music, giving the story emotional depth and cultural resonance.

Produced by Chicago Opera Theater in partnership with American Lyric Theater, the opera launched a team led by director Timothy Douglas and conductor Michael Ellis Ingram, both making their COT debuts.

An all-Black female cast brings these roles to life, featuring:

• Chrystal E. Williams (Aurelia Browder)
• Jasmine Habersham (Claudette Colvin)
• Leah Dexter (Susie McDonald)
• Jacqueline Echols (Rosa Parks)
• Cierra Byrd (Jeanetta Reese)
• Deborah Nansteel (Jo Ann Robinson)
• Lindsey Reynolds (Mary Louise Smith)

Tickets were priced between $106 and $215 according to listings chicago.theater. The project was backed by a $30,000 NEA grant and support from a 2024 OPERA America commissioning grant, helping bring historical research and community engagement to the production.