While director Jonathan Field has only been at Oberlin for two years, he continues the long standing opera tradition by directing Romeo et Juliette, by Charles Gounod, which will open next Wednesday. Field, who moved here from Chicago, replaced Judith Lang as the director of the Oberlin Conservatory Opera Theater, a branch of the Vocal Studies Department.
Preparing for an opera of this size is no small feat. First, choosing the right show is vital. That is, Field must choose a show that can suit the voices of the students, that will challenge them, and that will prove to be helpful to them in their education. "The best learning experience you can get is by doing the whole production," he explained.
With a cast of over 40 the auditioning process alone can be grueling. In fact, there were two different auditions for this show; one to audition the leads and chorus, one to audition the dancers, not to mention the fact that the production has two different principal casts. Wednesday and Saturday there is one cast of leads, featuring conservatory senior Limmie Pulliam as Romeo and conservatory junior Dea Lunsford as Juliette, while Friday and Sunday has another cast of main characters, featuring double-degree fifth year Daniel Paget as Romeo and conservatory senior Rhiannon Giddens as Juliette.
The auditions are open to any college student, but the fact of the matter is that often the vocal parts are simply too difficult to be performed by non-voice majors. And while some theater productions offer parts to the community, opera does not. Field believes that the students are paying for the best education they can in their area of interest, and giving the parts to those who are not pursuing a career in the field, or paying for the education, would only defeat the purpose.
This makes a lot of sense, particularly in light of the extraordinary education that the Conservatory offers its students. In fact, Oberlin graduate Ward Holmquist will be conducting Romeo et Juliette, just as an Oberlin graduate also conducted Carmen. This not only allows for a very strong community within the cast, but it also can encourage and inspire the students, for they see it is possible to succeed in the world of performance.
One must not forget however the enormous technical aspects of producing an opera. The scene shop of Hall began building the set over the summer. All but 10 lighting instruments are being used to light the show. And despite the fact that the show was cast last spring, costuming a cast of this size requires a lot of time and dedication on the part of Chris Flaharty, the costume designer, and his assistants. Although most of the costumes are being rented, 10 were createdby Flaherty and his staff.
One of the biggest changes in this year's opera is that it will be sung in its original language. In the 70s there was a movement in the opera world to translate all non-English operas into English for English-speaking countries.
This presented several problems. The biggest drawback was that this produced five or six translations of every opera and singers were growing weary of having to learn them all. Then there is the fact that often much of the meaning was lost in translation due to the fact that when an opera is written the speech patterns of the language are taken into consideration.
As a result the translated lyrics often ended up sounding more ridiculous than anything else. However, when the technology of super titles came along, a counter movement took hold. Now the audience can both hear the opera as it was written and understand the content. Although it will be in place next semester, this technology is not yet in place in Hall Auditorium. However, a typed translation will be available at the door for Romeo et Juliette.
The story shouldn't be too hard for most people to understand, however, since it is Romeo et Juliette. Although there are minor alterations, Field said there are many more similarities than differences between the play and the opera. All of the major soliloquies have been turned into arias. Even the dialogue between Romeo and Juliette at the party has been turned into a duet.
Probably the biggest change, however, is the addition of a minor character named Stefano. He is a young boy played by a woman who runs around and "gets in fights and all of that," explained Field.
Familiar faces: The Oberlin Conservatory Opera Theater this fall presents the timeless tale of the Montagues and the Capulets. Gounod's opus opens in Hall next week. (photo by Noah Mewborn)
Copyright © 1998, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 127, Number 9, November 13, 1998
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