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The Five College Opera will mount a full stage production for the first time in nearly a decade next month, when the intercollegiate ensemble of performers, musicians and technicians presents performances of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” (“Le Nozze di Figaro”) on Friday, Feb. 6, and Sunday, Feb. 8, at Bowker Auditorium.

The Five College Opera is a collaborative production in which faculty members from across the Five College campuses come together to plan an opera, and students in music and theater from all the campuses have the opportunity to study and perform. Students learn operatic techniques from experts and perform in a production which is open to the public.

Previously produced every three years, the Five College Opera’s operations were postponed indefinitely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, a steering committee was formed with representatives from all five institutions to re-envision the direction of the organization. The result was the decision to return with a show that highlighted the unique talents of an all-student cast.

“The Marriage of Figaro,” which will be presented in Italian with projected English supertitles, is Mozart’s comedy of love and class, set during a single chaotic day. When Figaro and Susanna’s wedding plans are jeopardized by Count Almaviva’s entitled advances, a whirlwind of disguises and misunderstandings ensues, culminating in a celebration of wit, compassion and the triumph of love.

Discussing “The Marriage of Figaro,” Jamie-Rose Guarrine, professor of voice and interim associate chair of the UMass Department of Music and Dance, says the opera’s “story and beautiful music have continued to resonate with audiences for more than 200 years since its premiere.”

“It’s a universal story of people falling in love, falling out of love, and finding each other again, told with wit, warmth, and a shared humanity that has stood the test of time,” Guarrine says. “It’s comic and iconic, and the perfect story to experience live, told in the theater.”

Melanie Bacaling, guest stage director for “Le Nozze di Figaro,” describes the design concept as “stylized period, focusing on how the themes of the opera transcend time.”

Guarrine says that opera is on the rise at UMass following last spring’s production of “Fairy Tales and Magic,” a collaboration between the vocal and orchestral programs in the Department of Music and Dance. It is a career pipeline that is still being built, she says, but one that she sees as on an upward trajectory.

“Opera is just one part of a multi-faceted approach to prepare our students for the career landscape, whether as performers, educators, choral, oratorio or opera singers,” Guarrine notes. “What has been nice about Five College Opera is that it strengthens that area, but it also provides a connective force to the operatic experience by uniting us with the Five College community.”

Guarrine says that she also hopes that this year’s production will provide a scaffolding for the future of the Five College Opera – at a time where budgets are stretched, the production team of “The Marriage of Figaro” is exploring out of the box solutions and documenting best practices of the massive logistical undertaking of mounting an opera, hoping to create a roadmap for future productions.

Tickets for “The Marriage of Figaro” can be purchased at the Fine Arts Center Box Office, located in the lobby of Frederick C. Tillis Hall, by calling 413-545-2511, and online from the Fine Arts Center.