A piercing vibrato soared through the woods in West Tisbury on Monday afternoon as Martha’s Vineyard’s only opera company put the finishing touches on its production of Mozart Flute (Magic Included). Glenn Seven Allen and Jamilyn Manning-White traded vocals as they moved in unison across the barn, which had been doubling as a practice space for the Wendy Taucher Dance Opera Theatre. The incessant buzz of a construction company outside the open barn doors didn’t faze the actors, as Tamino accepted a noble mission from the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter, Pamina.

For this performance Wendy Taucher and her cast have rewritten the dialogue of The Magic Flute and translated it into English. While the opera often runs for longer than three hours, with their changes the production will last only an hour and a half, so as to appeal to a summer audience. Mozart Flute (Magic Included) will be performed at Featherstone Center for the Arts in Oak Bluffs on August 1, 2 and 3.

The set for the opera includes just three stools. — Mark Lovewell

“The goal is to tell just enough of the story to let people know what’s being sung before they sing it without saying, now we’re going to sing a song about this,” said Ms. Taucher. “It’s cohesive so people who don’t know opera or who don’t know this story will still get it. There’s a point at which, if something is too long, even though most of it is fabulous, what people will remember is it’s too long, and I have a good sense of what that is.”

Although most productions of the Magic Flute do rewrite most of the dialogue, many directors do not give as much freedom to the actors to shape their own lines as Ms. Taucher does. As the scenes unfold, Ms. Taucher encourages the actors to contribute their thoughts and reshape their parts.

“Wendy has given us a framework, but if we say that something doesn’t make sense, or this would make it more organic for me, she is open to that,” said Janinah Burnett, who is playing the princess, Pamina. “It’s really taking on its own life.”

In fact, Ms. Taucher said that when she is casting a production such as this one, she looks specifically for actors who will breathe their own ideas into the part. She believes the most spontaneous performance comes when an actor is free to experiment with the part.

Although Ms. Taucher has hired world-class singers for the production, the set and costumes will be remarkably simple. The set of the opera consists of just three stools, which will be set up across the Featherstone stage. The costumes will be elegant, but will be toned down so as to not distract from the performance.

“We do gorgeous costumes, but it’s just a touch of this and that, so it’s really about the singing and [the actors], who are quite close. It’s a real thrill to be this close to singers who can act. I take a lot of pride in that. We are doing it without the bells and whistles, with just great performers.”

Wendy Taucher and her cast have rewritten the dialogue of The Magic Flute and translated it into English. — Mark Lovewell

On Monday evening, the cast of Mozart Flute presented two numbers from the production at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center in front of a full house. The voices boomed through the auditorium, and the numbers were met with overwhelming applause.

“We have a strong plot, but the real intent is to show people the sonic stuff that Mozart did,” said Michael Fennelly, the music director. “A great piece like this you can do for your entire life, and it changes every time you hear it. Each singer does it differently. It doesn’t change too much, but each singer brings a different personality. The fact that the music can absorb all that and reflect it without changing what Mozart wrote is a mystery.”

Although Ms. Taucher, Mr. Fennelly and the rest of the cast are all professional artists who take their careers very seriously, they are all here to have some fun with the performance. Some of the cast members have been to Martha’s Vineyard many times, while for others this is the first visit, but all are enjoying the Island as they work through one of the most famous operas ever written.

“I’m a very serious artist with a classical music degree and these guys are all top notch, but I don’t take myself too seriously. You want the music to bubble,” said Ms. Taucher. “When you see them perform, it’s just fantastic.”

The August 1 performance of Mozart Flute (Magic Included) is a benefit gala that begins at 6 p.m. at Featherstone Center for the Arts. Performances on Aug. 2 and 3 begin at 7 p.m. Visit wendytaucherdanceoperatheater.com.