A Weekend of Hope, Art & the Power of Story, April 18–19, 2026

Where creativity becomes connection… and connection becomes hope.

In April 2026, the Delaware Valley Opera invites the community into a luminous two-day celebration of the human spirit—a weekend where art, memory, and storytelling gather under one roof to remind us that hope is never lost… it only needs a place to grow.

• On Saturday, April 18, artist and educator Dr. Hope Blecher invites the community to Iterations of Hope, an interactive installation and workshop that welcomes participants to create or bring a 2-D piece of art representing their personal vision of hope. Each image—simple, bold, tender, expressive—will be joined with others to form one expansive community collage. Together, these individual offerings become a shared portrait of camaraderie and perseverance… a collective reminder that hope multiplies when we bring our stories forward.


• On Sunday, April 19 at 2:00 PM, the celebration deepens with BEING SOMEBODY, a funny, moving, and uplifting theatrical event directed by award-winning filmmaker and transformative acting coach Elizabeth Browning. The show stars Dr. Howard Mase, a vibrant 90-year-old practicing psychologist who began acting at 87, alongside his daughter, recording artist and performer Marla Mase. Through music, movement, and intimate storytelling, they invite audiences on a heartfelt journey back in time to Brooklyn in the post-war gleam of the 1940s and ’50s, and the gritty disco era of the ’70s—sharing hilarious childhood misadventures, tender family memories, and the unforgettable moments that shape who we become. Nostalgic, deeply human, and inspiring, BEING SOMEBODY reminds us that it is never too late to grow, to dream, or to begin again.
  Tickets: Pre-sale $20 and $25 at the door.

Iterations of Hope and BEING SOMEBODY are more than a workshop and a performance. They are reminders that the human heart is resilient, that our stories matter, and that it is never too late to step into the life we’ve long imagined.

This extraordinary pairing—Hope’s collaborative collage and Howard & Marla’s intergenerational storytelling—will conclude with a short discussion with all the creators on Sunday afternoon after the show.

EVENT DETAILS

Iterations of Hope – Workshop & Installation - Saturday, April 18, 2026 – Time TBA
Led by Dr. Hope Blecher

BEING SOMEBODY – Live Performance - Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM