Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Mike Silverman

‘Grounded,’ a new opera about a female fighter pilot turned drone operator, prepares to take off

Photo by Scott Suchman-The Kennedy Center

Nearly 10 years after it was first imagined as an opera, “Grounded” is ready to take flight.

With music by Jeanine Tesori and a libretto adapted by George Brant from his own play, “Grounded” tells the story of an F-16 fighter pilot who becomes pregnant and leaves the service. When she re-enlists she is assigned to a trailer in the Nevada desert, directing unmanned drone attacks on terrorists thousands of miles away. Gradually her personality fractures under the stress of the job until she can no longer separate her private from professional life.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.