The production of an opera presents a vast array of challenges for everyone involved. For Micah Morgan, who plays the lead role in the ISU production of “The Marriage of Figaro,” one of those challenges is a torn ligament in his knee.

Morgan, junior in music, first injured his knee eight months ago during an ISU Judo Club meeting.

“Then I re-injured it again about a month and a half ago playing paintball,” Morgan said. “That event made me go to the specialist, and I found out I have a torn ACL.”

The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the ligaments that connect the bones of the knee joint. An injured ACL is often unable to heal on its own without reconstructive surgery.

Before Morgan undergoes surgery on Nov. 8, he must first survive four days of portraying Figaro in the opera without an understudy to replace him.

Donald Simonson, vocal coach and collaborator for the opera and professor of music, expressed concerns about the physical demands on Morgan in the opera.

“I keep waiting for him to lift his leg and pop, something snaps,” Simonson said.

Mary Creswell, vocal coach for the opera and assistant professor of music, said Morgan was in a lot of pain in earlier rehearsals.

“It sometimes affects me in the show. It hurts quite a bit at times, and any time I am on my knees in the show, it hurts a lot,” Morgan said. “I just have to be careful and try not to re-injure it. It’s a tricky thing to do.”

Injuries are not foreign to ISU Theatre. Simonson said in the 1989-90 season, a performance of “To Kill a Mockingbird” came to a halt when a young man fell off a roof on the set and broke his arm.

“He dived into place, and whoever was supposed to hold his legs down slipped,” Simonson said.

Although that particular show had to be canceled, Morgan has no such fears with “Figaro.”

“Things are going fine so far,” he said. “And I’m sure the shows will be great and there won’t be any knee issues.”