Eboni Adams of My Name is Florence

MN Opera's world premiere of the new opera, My Name is Florence, recently wrapped up its run but we were lucky enough to catch up with the director prior to the closure for a quick chat. What follows that conversation.

Creating a world premiere is an exciting journey, you essentially have a blank slate to work with. What was the most difficult part of crafting this piece?

The most challenging part of creating a world premiere is that there’s no roadmap. You’re building something entirely new, without knowing for certain how the story or the staging choices will resonate with an audience. Every decision is guided by artistic instinct and deep collaboration.

It becomes an exercise in trust — trust in the music, the text, the performers, the designers, and your own creative vision. You build the piece together and hope the emotional truth carries beyond the rehearsal room.

Opening night is the real test. When it connects, it’s both a relief and a joy. There's that moment when you realize what lived in your head and heart is now understood and felt by a room full of strangers. That kind of connection is validating.

What do you hope audiences take away from this piece?

I hope audiences leave with a sense of discovery of Florence Price and her contribution to classical music — and also with curiosity about how many important stories go untold. Most of all, I hope they’re inspired by her resilience. She never gave up on herself or her work, and that’s a powerful reminder that legacy is built through persistence, even in uncertainty.

You have had such a wonderful career spread across so many mediums. Do you find that you draw inspiration from your time doing film and dance to create your opera pieces? Or do you approach it as its own medium? 

Opera is definitely its own medium, but I absolutely draw from my background in both dance and film. Having been a professional dancer for many years, I naturally think in terms of movement and spatial storytelling. When I first heard B.E. Boykin’s music, I immediately felt that the piece needed to travel physically through space, which also beautifully supports the way Harrison Rivers shaped the libretto.

My film experience influences how I think about visual composition and emotional focus. Opera teaches you a different kind of patience. You can’t just cut to the next moment. In opera, you have to honor the music and everything that just happened before it.

That’s actually what I love about live theater. The story unfolds in real time, and the transitions become part of the emotional journey.

What drew you to this piece specifically?

I was drawn to this piece because of the opportunity to help tell the story of a Black woman whose tenacity and resilience carried her through a time when the classical world often didn’t make space for people who looked like her. My Name is Florence feels more like a gift.

There’s also something interesting about the timing. In the same way Florence Price’s manuscripts were rediscovered years later, her story has been waiting, ready to be remembered and honored. Staging this opera now feels especially meaningful. There’s a moment in the piece — “Dear Florence, the world is changing”, and hearing those words in rehearsal often gave me chills. The realization that we're telling this story at this very moment in Minneapolis. The themes the opera explores, recognition, access, voice, and belonging, still feel incredibly close to where we are today.

It’s almost surreal how the story intersects with the present moment. Honestly, I’m not sure I chose this opera — I think it chose us to help carry it forward now.

Fun question: What is your favorite restaurant to visit in the Twin Cities?

Oh, I love this question! I’ve been to Porzana several times, and it’s definitely one of my favorites in the Twin Cities. The atmosphere is beautiful, and the food has been consistently amazing. I keep going back for the cured salmon, the burrata, the tagliatelle, and the picanha with the spicy chimichurri— and the Chilean sea bass definitely deserves a chef's kiss.