Sherman, Texas -- Love is in the aria when four Austin College students present two one-act operas about romance with a comedic flair on February 6 at 2:00 p.m. in the Sally and Jim Nation Theatre in Ida Green Communication Center.
Under the direction of adjunct music instructor Sylvia Rivers and accompanied by Timothy Jenkins, the classical voice students will perform La Serva Padrona by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi and The Telephone by Gian Carlo Menotti, both in English. The Music Department event is free and open to the public. Masks are required in all Austin College buildings.
Brian Linares and Meghan Reeves travel through time with La Serva Padrona which was written in 1733 and will be performed in period costume. The story of Uberto, the head of the house, and Serpina, the housekeeper, is a test of wills as she hopes to become his spouse.
Linares is a senior music major who started performing in the local community theatre singing roles such as Caiaphas, Jesus Christ Superstar, Gaston, Beauty and the Beast, and Bernardo, West Side Story. He has performed in various opera workshop scenes singing roles such as Papageno, Figaro, and Don Giovanni. In the fall of 2019, he was cast as a leading role (Bartender) in the Austin College production of Michael Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight. Upon graduation, Linares plans to pursue a career in opera performance.
Meghan Reeves is a junior completing a major in music and a minor in education, with plans to enter the Austin Teacher Program and to teach high school choir.
Meghan appeared in Austin College’s production of Speed Dating Tonight in fall 2019. 
In The Telephone, Lilly Boessen sings the role of Lucy opposite Jake Hanes singing the role of Ben. This performance is staged with the hip style of the 1970s and will resonate with audience members as Lucy’s telephone repeatedly interrupts the young couple and thwarts Ben’s plan to propose marriage.
Boessen is a junior studying music education and plans to participate in the Austin Teacher Program to earn a master’s degree in teaching. She hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in music, specializing in conducting, and to eventually teach choir at the collegiate level.
Boessen has appeared in many Sherman Community Players Main Stage and Theatricks productions. Her most recent roles include Marty Maraschino in Grease, Lisa (understudy) in Mamma Mia, and Stepmother in Cinderella.
Jake Hanes is a senior completing degrees in music, business administration, and economics. He was a captain of the Austin College football team and a multi-year starting tackle. He is vice president of Phi Sigma Alpha fraternity, a member of the Austin College A Cappella Choir, and was in the Sons of Pitches quartet. His most recent appearance on stage was the Austin College Music Department’s performance of Michael Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight.
Hanes is considering graduate school offers to earn a Master of Music in vocal performance and pedagogy, and business opportunities in sales.
Production assistant Clay Bourne is a sophomore majoring in psychology with a minor in leadership.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, global awareness, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.