What happens when the promise of a better life comes at an unimaginable cost?
Proving Up follows a homesteading family whose pursuit of the American Dream takes a dark and unsettling turn. Set on the American frontier, this 80-minute, one-act opera by composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek brings a haunting psychological drama to the stage.

Following their successful 2025 collaboration on Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring, WT Opera and Chamber Music Amarillo reunite to bring this powerful work to the Texas Panhandle.

Explore the history behind the story through talkback panels following the first two performances, presented with the Center for the Study of the American West.

Questions about Proving Up? Contact Sarah Beckham-Turner at sbeckham-turner@wtamu.edu.