Ishmael Reid has written what he calls a “gospera,” a new term to describe a new theatrical form, a combination of gospel and opera. Ensconced at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, it has been attracting enthusiastic audiences for a month now. ‘This was commissioned by the San Francisco Opera Company in 1992,’ Reed says. ‘The Opera wanted to present it as an opera, but I felt, considering the source, it would fit the story to add gospel voices’.” – New York Daily News