The School of Music at Wichita State University will present two rarely seen one-act operas, “L’Enfant et les Sortilèges” (The Child and the Sorcery) by M. Ravel and “Hin und Zurück” (There and Back) by P. Hindemith and Marcellus Schiffer, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, March 4-6, and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 7, in Wilner Auditorium.

The two operas will be sung in French and German, respectively, with English titles. Both are rated G for general audiences.

In “L’Enfant et les Sortilèges,” a naughty little boy is confined to his room by his mother. He throws a temper tantrum, destroying his toys and furniture, and tormenting his pets. Abruptly the inanimate objects surrounding him come to life, joining with the animals to exact revenge.

Featuring Ravel’s magical orchestrations, it’s a fanciful, charming work, said Marie Allyn King, director of opera at WSU.

Its large cast is composed of graduate and undergraduate voice majors. Mezzo sopranos Jesan Barnes and Erin Mundus alternate as the Child. Other featured performers include master’s candidates Matthan Black as the Grandfather Clock; Janine Davis as Fire; Leanne Scaggs, The Bat; Ted Dvorak, Arithmetic; Stefanie Randall, The Squirrel; Yung Jin Lai, The Armchair; and Danielle Rohr, Mother. Featured undergraduates include Abby Whittle and Mandy Brown alternating as The Princess; Danielle Herrington as Fire/The Nightingale; Meghan Zuver, Chinese Teacup; Ross McCorkell, English Teapot; and Jacob January and Catherine Behrens as The Cats.

During World War I, the French writer Colette was asked to provide the text for a fairy ballet. Colette originally wrote the story under the title “Divertissements pour ma fille” (Entertainment for my daughter). Ravel agreed to complete the score, humorously replying, "I would like to compose this, but I have no daughter."

In fact, Ravel was an enigmatic man who never married and seemed to have no intimate relationships. The first performance took place in 1925 with ballet sequences choreographed by George Balanchine.

“Hin und Zurück” is a satirical operatic sketch in one scene lasting only 12 minutes. A “noir-ish” tragedy involving jealousy, murder and suicide is played forward, then, thanks to the machinations of a “deus ex machina,” replayed in reverse order to produce a happy ending.

The student cast features Aaron Short as The Husband; Abby Whittle as The Wife; Kyle Wheatley as The Doctor; Yung Jin Lai as the Orderly; and Ross McCorkell as The Sage.

Stage direction for both works is by Marie Allyn King; Mark Laycock and master’s candidate Nicholas Gilmore conduct the WSU Symphony Orchestra. Choreographic support is provided by Amy Baker.