Developing a character

One of the great joys of working in an opera company is the chance to watch a least some of a number of performances of the same opera. The reason that I find it so enjoyable, in addition to having the opportunity to listen to great music over and over again, is see how different performers respond in different ways to the repetition of a role over multiple performances. Some performances grow, some deteriorate, some stay the same, and some reach their apex at a certain point in the run and from there either deteriorate, or plateau. I'm also intrigued at how the other performers react to each other and to miniscule changes in the performances.

During the run of our season there were a number of performances that grew from show to show. I thought one artist in particular, followed a mostly upward path with each successive performance. And then there was one time when everyone exceeded themselves and created that kind of excitement that elicits not only an emotional reaction but a physical one. I was constrained to stay in my seat, but my body wanted to jump up and cheer and when the performance ended, with tears in my eyes, that's just what I did. I was not the only one.