Les Dialogues depicts the life and times of a young woman caught up in chaotic events during the French Revolution. On one level it’s the story of an individual finding personal fulfillment, peace and transcendence; on another level it’s the story of a cloistered Carmelite order facing a gathering political storm, mob persecution, and execution.

Despite the mounting havoc and fear beyond the cloistered convent, inside the walls the “dialogues” of the nuns are hushed, poignant and very personal. Stillness, solitary devotion and ritual, and domestic routine dictate daily life until the storm breaks thrusting the women into spiritual confusion and martyrdom.

The world of the opera focused on the nuns in their physical, emotional, and spiritual isolation until the last scene of the opera when their tragic fate was revealed.