Lyric Opera 2018-2019 Issue 8 Elektra

L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O February 2 - 22, 2019 | 37 What is your role here at Lyric, and how long have you held the position? I am a stage manager and this is my 18th season. I work with directors and creative teams during the rehearsal process to establish they have everything they need for their vision to be realized on stage. I also run the rehearsals for a handful of productions each season. In that capacity, I make sure everyone is in attendance, I monitor the scenes to track if the singers have the props they need, I mark the performers’ entrances and exits from the stage for followspot purposes, and I take notes from the directors and designers on what they might want changed or adjusted. I distribute those notes to the necessary parties, all the while ensuring the production is on track to be ready for its opening performance. What led you to work at Lyric? Music has always been a big part of my life. My parents put a guitar in my hand when I was five! I was a Lyric season subscriber during college and would sit in the last row of the upper balcony thinking, I need to be a part of this somehow. I loved the spectacle of opera and the way that even in such a vast theater, directors could create an intimate moment for 3,600 people. I majored in piano and vocal performance and was working at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra when I was put in touch with Marina Vecci, who works in Lyric’s rehearsal department. I was eventually hired as a rehearsal assistant and learned all about the company, and how I could contribute with my interest and abilities. at led to me becoming an assistant stage manager, and then a stage manager a few years later. What’s a typical day like for you? No day is the same for me. In the morning, I might be rehearsing a huge scene with 90 people on stage, and then running an intimate scene with two principals later that same day. I could be overseeing a sitzprobe (seated onstage rehearsal) with a full orchestra and chorus, and afterwards finalizing paperwork and notes that need to be disseminated to different members of the company. What’s the most challenging aspect of your job? Communication. It’s the job of the stage managers to synthesize the notes we receive during the rehearsals and get those notes to the correct people. If a director or designer decides to change even a tiny detail, that change can affect four or five different departments. I have to make sure those notes are being communicated accurately and on deadline, and that everything is progressing at the same rate. What keeps you committed to the work you do? I see opera as a team sport. Working backstage at Lyric, I’m surrounded by so many unsung heroes that are incredibly talented and passionate about their craft. eir commitment and integrity to creating the best possible work keeps me moving forward and doing my best work. Even though we’re not on stage singing or in the orchestra pit playing an instrument, that’s still our work up there and that’s amazing to see. What’s something about your job that people might not know? As stage managers, we know everyone in the company because that’s a necessity. We’re familiar with the stage- hands, dressers, wig and makeup crew, chorus and orchestra members, plus most of the administrative staff. My job is one of the few at Lyric that touches every single department. We also are the ones who work most closely with the designers, directors, and creative teams, because we are the liaison between them and the rest of the company. A favorite Lyric moment? After 18 seasons, I have a lot of favorites! My most recent happened during a student matinee performance of Jesus Christ Superstar. e show began with the fire curtain down, and the bright light would slowly start to seep underneath the curtain as it went up. When the music started and the electric bass began to swell, the entire audience just erupted in applause and screams. In those moments, you realize how much of an impact music has on people’s lives. It was such a diverse audience, and for them to be able to look at the stage and see an equally diverse cast, with people who looked like them, I think that made them love it even more. ey felt represented in the piece and that was an amazing moment. Beyond opera, what are your other passions? Because I spend so much time in a dark theater, I enjoy being outside as much as possible outside of work. My husband and I have two sons and a rescue dog, and we love being active. Anything from hiking to swimming to basketball, and everything in between. Spending time together around a firepit at night is our idea of fun. We’re an extremely energetic bunch! BACKSTAGE LIFE : Rachel Tobias