WALNUT CREEK, CA—Zounds, is acting now encroaching on the world of opera? It flourished this summer in both the top-of-the-line S.F. Opera’s “Orlando” and now the struggling Festival Opera here with its history of multiple Lazarus-like revival modes.

The casts of actor-singers provide a new vitality to the medium, often compensating (and then some) for less-than-Met voices.

The latest such miracle was brought off by a stage director better known as a Bay Area dance director, Mark Foehringer. The vehicle was Carlisle Floyd’s 1955 two-acter of Americana, “Susannah,” whose weekend run makes up the season for Festival Opera, which now goes back into hibernation till 2020.

Americana? Perhaps more Biblicana. The peekaboo tale of the naked Susanna at the bath spied on by the Elders is handed down from the Book of Daniel’s Apocrypha, but modernized in the opera version and set amongst simple folk in Tennessee’s moonshine country. This chancey non-repertory venture was a bold selection for the Festival leadership, requiring a dozen solo singers, a women’s chorus and about nine scenes (I eventually lost count).

But it worked resoundingly, unlike two other productions I encountered decades ago. The mainstays are the soprano Susannah and the highly conflicted preacher Blitch who falls in love with his own hypocritical bombast before attacking the helpless woman barely in her majority. The overall theme is of hypocrisy leading to character assassination, and puffed-up righteousness producing sin and violence in a holier-than-thou community.

Adding depth to this surface action is that no one emerges as fully heroic in this trenchant, and hard-hitting drama. However sanctimonious and repentant in spouting Christian verse like “Let this cup pass,” the preacher falls prey to his passions. However innocent in all the turmoil over her bathing naked in a stream, Susannah finally gives in to the preacher with a resigned “I’m tired.” And her hunter-brother and protector Sam is a drunkard.

Susannah’s finest moment comes in brandishing a rifle to ward off the village vigilantes coming to wreak their punishment on her—a take-charge character straight out of Girl of the Golden West, or of Annie Get Your Gun. Another high point is the public condemnation scene dominated by the troupe’s effective women’s chorus.

The rather conversational libretto is peppered with musical high points like the Sam-Susannah duet, the preacher’s soliloquy, a male quartet and Susannah’s folky arias (“It Must Make the Good Lord Sad,” “Come Back O Lover”).

Robust voices predominated, particularly the preacher (bass-baritone Philip Skinner), Sam (tenor Alex Boyer) and Elder McLean (baritone Eugene Brancoveanu). The title role was ably sung by soprano Shana Blake Hill, who embodied both a staunch resolve and a youthful vulnerability. All of them however shone most in their stage deportment, in plausible interactions and theatrical savvy.

Conductor was Bryan Nies, who has developed a clear beat and passionate energy I found largely absent in the past, and the musical flow was compelling. Like Foehringer and several of the singers, he is Bay Area based, suggesting that we have considerable operatic talent surrounding us almost all year round.

The audience July 12 was modest in size but uncommonly enthusiastic. The hit show augurs well for the tenure of the new F.O. General Director Zachary Gordin, completing his first season.

“Susannah,” two-act opera in English by Carlisle Floyd, fully staged by Festival Opera. Lesher Center, Walnut Creek, through July 14. For info: (925) 944-9610, or go online .

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