The Artist of the Week is Canadian stage director and theatre artist Elizabeth Stepkowski Tarhan. She will be directing Calgary Opera‘s production of The Barber of Seville which runs from April 18th to 24th (tickets and info here).
This is Elizabeth’s fourth production with Calgary Opera. Previously she directed Stone Soup, The Witty Squirrel and coordinated the 50th Anniversary Concert. She has also directed productions for The Shakespeare Company, Guild Hall YK, Seadreamer, Drama on a Dime, Storybook Theatre, Stage West and the Banff Centre.
This week, Elizabeth chats with us about her favourite music, her operatic goals and the importance of continued education. Read on to find out more.
When was your first singing lesson (and with whom)?
I was eight years old and studied with Eileen Higgins for a few months. Then I began to seriously study at 15 with Carla Bagley. I also started piano and ballet at five years old and did my first play at five years old. We even toured to Lethbridge.
Drink of choice?
Coffee during the day, gin and tonic in the evening.
Heels or flats?
At my age, flats.
Favourite place?
I cannot narrow this down. Any place that I am with my family. Any rehearsal hall or theatre. Any location in the world I have the good fortune to travel to for work or pleasure. Most recently La MaMa International in Umbria.
If you weren’t a stage director, you’d be..?
…. Hahaha, a stage director and a theatre performer. Wait, that is what I do. If I were not working in the performing arts, I think I would have had to marry wealthy and travel the world. If that didn’t work out, I suppose I would have entered the field of psychology.
Top 3 favourite composers?
So hard, but Verdi, Ravel and Sondheim. Oh, and Ren. Wait, also Barber, Britten, Menotti…. I can’t.
Top 3 favourite opera?
My favourite is the one I just saw beautifully realized or the one I am working on to beautifully realize.
Tent or hotel?
Hotel, no contest. I do love a view though.
What are you afraid of?
Not being imaginative enough. Not being able to convey my ideas clearly to my collaborators. Not finding the most effective way to communicate with artists.
What was the first opera you ever saw?
My mother took me to Calgary Opera as a child: Madama Butterfly, 1974. The first one I took myself to was Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci in 1985.
What’s your ancestry?
Polish.
Are there more musicians in your family? If yes, who and what do they play/sing?
My Grandfather played a Balalaika. Never professionally, but a fond childhood memory is listening to him play and sing.
What’s your favourite mind-calming practice?
Reality TV while playing Soda Crush. Oh, wait that is mind numbing. Calming, would be walking.
What’s your favourite non-classical band?
Ren. He is an amazing artist. You must watch his videos though to get the full impact.
Where did you go to school?
I have a bachelor’s degree in theatre and dance from the University of Calgary and my performer’s certificate from Trinity College, which existed in the 80s. I also studied opera stage direction under Daniel Kramer, and I still find professional development opportunities every year. Oxenfoord International Summer Music is a favourite to attend.
What’s the luckiest thing that has ever happened to you?
Regarding working in opera? Bonni Baynton at Calgary Opera said “Yes” to my request to assistant direct and chose Michael Cavanagh as my first mentor. I am so grateful to have worked with Michael, he taught me so much, challenged me and integrated me fully into the process. Also, Heather Kitchen was the first to offer me my first engagement as a stage director. The luckiest things that happens to me are relationships with wonderful people who support me.
What was your childhood dream job?
I wanted to be a movie star as a child and a Broadway star as a teen.
Which colour best symbolises your personality?
Red. I feel Fiery, passionate, bold and vibrant. I wonder if that is how I am perceived.
Do you have a funny joke for us?
My favourite joke is: Did you hear about the dyslexic, agnostic insomniac? He lay awake all-night wondering if there really was a dog.
When did you know you wanted to be a stage director?
I’ve always known that I would have a life in the performing arts. I have never been able to nail it down to one discipline. I have performed professionally in theatre, musical theatre, as a dancer and singer. I have also had the good fortune to perform in a few operas and even upon occasion as a musician. Now, I use all that experience to stage direct.
What is one thing that you cannot live without?
LOVE! Or, food and water.
What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?
Plan an extravagant trip. Then establish several endowment funds for the arts, medicine and mental health.
Do you approach upcoming projects differently today than you did at the beginning of your career?
Yes, of course. Experience, ongoing education and practice bring a deeper understanding and more ability to analyze text and music and to communicate and collaborate with artists.
The music industry is tough, and filled with rejection. How do you cope? Does it get easier?
You must build your resilience to rejection early on in your career. You also must understand that your ability and artistry often have little to do with the decisions that are being made. I coped by continuing to engage in my art through professional development and expanding my practice, and by building a support system of family and friends. Stay present, stay visible and find ways to update your resume so that you have more to offer. I think that for some it does get easier. But for the majority we are always having to work at getting work.
Do you think singers and performers have a more powerful inner life?
Wow, interesting question. I believe we have both power and privilege in life and inner life. We get to experience the most exalted and joyful moments, the most painful and tragic, and the most heroic without actually living it or suffering consequences. We change out of costume, wash our faces and go back to our real lives. I am honoured and grateful for the responsibility to “hold up the mirror.” The power lies in the collaboration that produces a work that impacts people and hopefully helps them to have more powerful lives.
Were there any directors in the past that have really inspired you?
Robin Phillips was an amazing director. I learnt so much from him in my early years that I carry with me and utilize as a performer, stage director and educator.
What is the ultimate goal of opera?
I can only tell you what my goal is. I want to engage and surprise the audience. I want them to experience a moment that profoundly impacts them, tickles their funny bone, or brings forth a deep sigh of satisfaction. I want them to delight in or consider thematic ideas days and weeks later. Years down the road when they hear the music again or someone mentions that particular opera, I want them to experience a vivid memory of the production.
Are you a perfectionist?
I am not a perfectionist. I strive for perfection, but what is that? Opera is a collaborative process, and everyone has their preferences. We are human. Perfection doesn’t exist in the arts. But magic most definitely does.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ELIZABETH STEPKOWSKI TARHAN
VISIT HER WEBSITE
© Kaitlyn Kerr
Stone Soup at Calgary Opera
© HarderLee Photography
The Witty Squirrel at Calgary Opera
© Thomas Hopkins Photography
Fiddler on the Roof at Keyano Theatre
The Barber of Seville
Calgary Opera
STAGE DIRECTOR: Elizabeth Stepkowski Tarhan
CONDUCTOR: Daniela Musca
FIGARO: Grisha Martirosyan
ROSINA: Siphokazi Molteno
COUNT ALMAVIVA: John Tessier
DOTTORE BARTOLO: Dion Mazerolle
DON BASILIO: Adam Lau
BERTA: Kelsey Ronn
AMBROGIO: Ryan Nauta
FIORELLO: Luke Noftall
SERGEANT: George Theodorakopoulos
STAGE MANAGEMENT: Shelby-Jai Flick/Kennedy Greene/Jennifer Yeung
HEAD COACH: Emily Hamper
CHORUS DIRECTOR: Mark Morash
RÉPÉTITEUR: Evan Mounce
SET, LIGHTING for & PRODUCTION DESIGN: Scott Reid
COSTUME DESIGNER: Heather Moore
CAGARY OPERA CHORUS
CALGARY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Pairing Olympic-level singing with comedic brilliance, this classic farce has all the ingredients for laughs: a hopeless romantic with no game, a whip-smart young woman outwitting a crusty patriarch, and a bold baritone who belts the world’s most famous intro song—”Figaro?” Anyone?
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