‘Oblivion’ gives voice to the power of memory

Cailin Marcel Manson, director of Clark’s music program, during the filming of “Oblivion” in The Grind in 2022. (Photo by Stephen DiRado)

In August 2022, The Grind in the Higgins University Center was transformed into a movie set. But for the duration of the shoot, the actors never spoke a word on film.

The production was “Oblivion,” an opera composed by Professor John Aylward and inspired by Dante’s “Purgatorio,” which explores the concepts of memory, identity, and redemption.

“Oblivion” follows two amnesiac Wanderers through a modern conception of a kind of Purgatory. With an accompanying ensemble of viola, cello, contrabass, electric guitar, and electronics, the story explores what might be gained from remembering one’s own life, and whether remembrance brings knowledge and perspective or pain.

Excerpts from the film will be screened in the Higgins Lounge at Dana Commons this Wednesday, November 20, at 7 p.m. The screening, sponsored by the Alice Coonley Higgins Institute for Arts and Humanities, will be followed by a conversation with composer/librettist Aylward and with the film’s director, Laine Rettmer. Refreshments will be served.

“I loved [Dante’s] writings as a young man,” Aylward told ClarkNOW during the film shoot. “I wanted to do something with the idea of purgatory or the afterlife, trying to find ways to explore memory and life experiences — remembering your past, recreating it, putting it together.”

“Oblivion” is a very Clark affair. Along with Aylward, Professor Cailin Marcel Manson played one of the characters, Professor Kevin McGerigle served as a technical consultant, and four current and former Clark students — Nicole Overbaugh ’24, Oli Gavin ’21, Graham Pelligra ’23, and Isabella Bacallao — were employed behind the scenes as production assistants.

“I was grateful to work on the project at Clark,” Aylward said. “We turned The Grind into a film studio, and transformed that space.” He added that working with David Chearo, vice president for planning, made the project possible, as Chearo was able to coordinate the various Clark offices that needed to be involved, including Facilities Management and University Police.

Aylward said he is excited about the number of people who will be able to see “Oblivion.” Stage performances, even the most successful, are finite — but the film can be screened over and over.