Masters of the Stage

On September 25, 1996, James Graves, Associate Director of SDCF, moderated a panel about Directing Opera. Panelists included Lillian Garrett-Groag, Mark Lamos, and Rhoda Levine. With great vibrancy and humor, the panelists consider the challenges of working in foreign countries, methods to navigate working in a foreign language, and the skills and knowledge necessary for theatre artists to work in opera. Most interestingly, their backgrounds are varied: a choreographer (Ms. Levine), a musician and actor (Mr. Lamos), and a multi-lingual director immersed in opera since childhood (Ms. Garrett-Groag). They delve deeply into the Director/Conductor relationship and elucidate the reasons why this is most significant in opera. And they share the thrills of doing new work, including experience developing operas based on the books Celia, A Slave, and Haroun and the Sea of Stories. This honest and open conversation among peers is essential listening for any artist aspiring to direct opera.