Kafka’s Letter to His Father – U.S. Premiere

Composed by Jiři Trtik (Czech Republic)
Libretto by Jan Škrob (Czech Republic)
In collaboration with Brightwork Ensemble
Produced by the Opera of Timur
Thu, Nov 12 – Sat, Nov 14, 2026
The Nimoy
Run time: 70 mins
No intermission

Performed in Czech with English supertitles

U.S. premiere of Kafka’s Letter to His Father, a contemporary opera adapted from Franz Kafka’s iconic letter.

Adapted from Franz Kafka’s searing letter to his father, this critically acclaimed opera transforms one of the 20th century’s most powerful literary documents into a gripping theatrical experience exploring authority, vulnerability, and identity. As the inaugural opera of Far Away, Here, CAP UCLA’s new international opera initiative, Kafka’s Letter to His Father directed by Shayna Penn launches a program dedicated to contemporary works that expand the possibilities of opera across cultures, disciplines and forms.

Kafka’s Letter to His Father premiered May 2, 2024, at the National Theater in Prague. The intimate opera explores a childhood marked by fear of an overpowering father and a struggle to conform to rigid ideals of masculinity. Through literary creation, Kafka finds a path toward freedom, escaping paternal authority through the act of writing.

The libretto uses minimalist language to transform Kafka’s monological letter into direct interactions, revealing a nonlinear arc from helplessness to liberation. Musically, the opera layers ambient electronics, synthesizers and acoustic instruments, with Kafka’s tenor voice, performed by Timur, set against a six-member baritone-bass choir representing the Father and a soprano voice representing the Mother, conducted by Fahad Siadat.

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Actors with beach clothes and umbrellas
About Far Away, Here: Kafka’s Letter to His Father is the inaugural production of Far Away, Here, CAP UCLA’s new multi-year initiative presenting U.S. premieres of contemporary opera from Europe, Asia, and Latin America, curated by Timur Bekbosunov with Edgar Miramontes. Learn more.

Cast and creatives
Composed by Jiři Trtik (Czech Republic)
Libretto by Jan Škrob (Czech Republic)
In collaboration with Brightwork Ensemble
Produced by the Opera of Timur
Conducted by Fahad Siadat
Directed by Shayna Penn
Kafka – TIMUR
Mother – Molly Pease
Fathers – TJ Sclafani, Kevin Allen, Lorenzo Zapata, Scott Graff, David Peterson, James Hayden

The original production was directed by Josef Doležal, designed by Maxim Velčovský and commissioned by Narodni Divadlo and the Ministry of Culture, Czech Republic.