Tania (1992)

Synopsis
Loosely based on the kidnapping of Patricia Hearst in 1974 by the Symbionese Liberation Army, this opera examines the loss and destruction of an identity and the collapse of an established social structure. Patty was held captive for over four weeks, blindfolded and imprisoned in a closet. In the after-shock of her abduction, mesmerized by a combination of fear, terror, curiosity and exhilaration, she decided to join the radicals, adopting the alias ‘Tania.’ Eventually apprehended, Hearst was tried, convicted and imprisoned, despite her claim that she had been brainwashed.