​Guild Opera Co. is thrilled to present Luke and Sarah by James Domine with San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra Friday and Saturday February 20-21 at 7:30 PM at River of the Valley in Canoga Park.

SYNOPSIS

Luke and Sarah is a sweeping Appalachian tragedy set in 1890s America, when railroads carve into the mountains and old ways collide with encroaching “civilization.” Against this backdrop of moonshine stills, clan feuds, revival meetings, and rail-town taverns unfolds a doomed love story worthy of grand opera.
 

Luke McDaniels and Sarah McBeam belong to rival mountain clans locked in a bitter, escalating feud over land, pride, and survival. While their fathers trade threats and gunfire, Luke and Sarah meet in secret, bound by a love that defies inherited hatred. Luke is torn between loyalty to his family and devotion to Sarah; Sarah, innocent and hopeful, believes love can transcend violence and tradition.
 

As railroads advance and outsiders arrive—loggers, miners, and tavern girls led by the seductive Miss Dixie—the fragile balance of mountain life unravels. Luke is pressured by his father to abandon his “mountain gal” and prove his manhood, while Sarah faces the hard lessons of womanhood in a world ruled by men, liquor, and guns. A revival meeting meant to redeem the community instead erupts into chaos, revealing how faith, greed, and desire intertwine.

Jealousy, deception, and drunkenness drive the lovers toward catastrophe. A night of violence shatters Sarah’s innocence and Luke’s sense of self, setting off a chain of accusations and vengeance neither can escape. When truth finally emerges, Luke and Sarah attempt to flee together, clinging to forgiveness and love as a storm breaks over the mountains.