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It’s possible you’ve not seen opera quite like this. Thompson Street Opera Company opened its second season last night with a regional premiere of Eva Kendrick’s chamber opera “Emily,” a satisfying peek into the family dynamics and dramatic social life of one of America’s most intriguing foundational poets. Staged in the as-yet-unfinished theater at Vault 1031, a new performance space on the edge of Old Louisville (1031 S. 6^th Street), this is opera stripped down to its bare essentials – powerful voices and beautiful music – that’s right-sized for the intimate, dressed-down space.

Directed by Julane Havens and conducted by Katy Vaitkevicius, with Adrienne Fontenot on piano, “Emily” runs for two more performances, tonight (Saturday) at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2.

Kendrick weaves Dickinson’s poems seamlessly through her own original music and libretto, creating natural moments for characters to read aloud from Emily’s work in the context of a scene. The music is appealing in its simplicity with just enough moments of operatic flourish to thrill the audience in the small space with its marvelous acoustics.