ABSTRACT
The issue of human rights remains critical in relations between the United States and China and continues to complicate the international relationship between these two countries. The opera explores this issue by highlighting communist ideals, which claim to value the civil rights of all citizens, especially the peasant class; by painting the rise of communism as a reaction against human rights abuses that had occurred in the past; and by showing how even the best of intentions often fall short of these ideals. A theatrical re-enactment portrays past human rights abuses by people of power and reveals a strong reaction against these abuses by the people of China, aided and organized by the rise of militant communism. By exploring multiple angles on the issue of human rights in the opera, rather than offering heavy-handed social commentary on the issue, John Adams and Alice Goodman provide a remarkable vehicle for further reflection on the issue.
