Thumbprint

A co-production of BU Opera Institute and School of Theatre

October 24 – 26, 2024

Studio ONE

Kamala Sankaram, composer

Susan Yankowitz, librettist (from a series of interviews with Mai)

Allison Voth, music director

Grant Sorenson (CFA’26), stage director

Thumbprint is inspired by the extraordinary transformation of Mukhtar Mai, a young woman whose world was shattered by an act of brutality that could have destroyed her. Instead, she discovers a weapon—her voice—and against all odds, to the astonishment of her country and herself, she seeks justice and finds it. “The worst thing in my life is also the best,” she says. “It has given my life meaning.” Her journey resonates beyond borders in its implicit belief that even in the darkest times, one person, one voice, through a single act of courage, can change life for thousands.

“It’s about her journey to get past the harm of that attack,” says William Lumpkin. “A lot of people have said that they’ve heard of the story and want to see something that they have some familiarity with—a real-life story that is now realized in a theatrical setting.”

29th Annual CFA Fringe Festival Puts Women in the Spotlight

Thumbprint is inspired by the true story of Mukhtar Mai, a Pakistani activist known internationally for bringing the men who raped her to court and making history in her country’s legal system. The opera is a melange of Western and Hindustani influences on both the storytelling and the music.

The annual Boston University Fringe Festival is a collaboration between the College of Fine Arts School of Music: Opera Institute and School of Theatre. Fringe’s mission is to produce new or rarely performed significant works in the opera and theatre repertoire, bringing performances and audiences together in unique theatrical settings. For over two decades, Fringe Festival at BU has celebrated and amplified new work, shown in spare and minimal productions.