FWO Archives (1984-1985) During our "Season of Departures," the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra became Fort Worth Opera's permanent orchestra, and the company charted an ambitious five-production season, which included Stephen Paulus' two act thriller, The Postman Always Rings Twice. Based on the novel by James M. Cain and set in 1930s Southern California, this steamy tale of sex, murderous violence, and betrayal had twice been made into a film in 1946 and 1981. Paulus said this at the time: "In this day, opera premieres by living American composers are fairly rare and something to be cherished and appreciated. However, even more rare are second and third performances and for this I must salute the Fort Worth Opera. Originally commissioned by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in 1982 and performed at the Edinburgh International Festival the following year, Fort Worth Opera presented the work in March of 1985. Under General Director Dwight Bowes, the production featured baritone Nicholas Karousatos as Frank Chambers, soprano Maryanne Telese as Cora, and tenor Michael Myers as Nick Papadakis. https://www.fwopera.org/historical-timeline