Daigle directs Elixir  and creates his own type of opera

Steven Daigle, acting director of Opera Theater, is taking the reins over as director of this year's opera, filling the void former director of Opera Theater Judith Layng created after she left Oberlin last spring.

Daigle and the Voice faculty chose The Elixir of Love  by Gaetano Donizetti for this fall's show. Daigle likes the piece because Donizetti incorporates farce, drama and choreographed moments into the opera all at once.

"[Donizetti] realized that you can't sacrifice either style, comedy or drama," Daigle said. He said it's been a challenge to get students to learn that each style isn't exclusive.

"With opera especially," said Daigle, "we go as much to see personalities develop with the voices as well as to see the characters develop." He said each cast has a distinct personality which is a benefit of working with two casts.

The opera is double-casted, as the last few operas have been, offering more roles to students, especially senior voice majors. The Opera and Theater department is trying to create a policy of double casting, so that more students get opportunities in the operas.

Daigle said one of the appeals of The Elixir of Love  is that it lends itself to audience participation. There is an open set with no curtains, and something on the set is always moving, even if it is just the lights. The intermission is staged while characters set up for a wedding.

Operas at Oberlin have been sung in English for the last few years because students need to get the experience of a full role, but don't have time in their schedules to learn the language as well as the role they have to play. "It's a whole other level when you work with another language," said Daigle. "It just comes down to practical considerations."

Instead, Daigle works on bringing out individual personality in each character. "One of the best things is to see students bring their personality on stage. Setting up an environment to let them create or let them try things, let them know it's okay," Daigle said.

Daigle was a voice major/choral conductor in college when he directed a couple of musicals and decided to pursue directing. He was more interested in teaching than the actual interactive process of acting and performing, which were his initial interests.

He went to Florida State University where he majored in opera directing. His position at Oberlin was his first employment out of graduate school.

Daigle has worked at Oberlin for eight years. During the summer he works with the Ohio Light Opera, where he started as stage manager, then became general director. He manages about three plays a summer. The atmosphere is different because he works with people who can devote all their time to performance.

In 1994 he directed Gianni Schicchi  and Angelique  while Layng was on sabbatical. He said that there weren't too many differences between his style of directing and Layng's. They both try to create a "professional atmosphere" to prepare voice majors for the future.

Daigle has his own approach to directing. "I'm at the mercy of the piece itself. I change my style [of directing] depending on the piece itself. It allows the piece to come to life if you do that."