University of Kentucky alumnus William Clay Thompson will return to his alma mater this week to help kick off University of Kentucky Opera Theatre's 2023-24 season with American composer Carlisle Floyd’s powerful opera, "Susannah," Oct. 6-8, at the Lexington Opera House. One of the most-performed American operas of all time, "Susannah," is set in foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and tells the apocryphal tale of Susannah Polk, a young woman raised by her older brother.