Opera diva Maria Callas once said: “I will always be as difficult as necessary to achieve the best.” That quote perfectly encapsulates The Black Box Theatre’s current production of Terence McNally’s 1996 Tony Award winning play Master Class expertly directed by Ron May. This show is extra special in that it is a collaboration with Opera Quad Cities so you will get a healthy, but not overwhelming, dose of skyrocketing arias to accompany the phenomenal acting.
Master Class dramatizes the master classes conducted by opera legend Maria Callas at the Juilliard School in the 1970s, blending live operatic performances with Callas' sharp wit, memories, and reflections on her unhappy childhood, career, love life, and the sacrifices of art. This exceptional script features Callas interacting with an accompanist as well as critiquing three students (two sopranos and a tenor) while revealing her own vulnerabilities and genius, exploring themes of artistic greatness, sacrifice, and the price of fame. She was deemed by her peers to be extremely difficult with a fiery temperament and demanding attitude. Excellence was mandatory, and her criticisms were neither subtle nor kind.
Callas’ relatively brief career was riddled with hardship. Opinions of her voice were mixed but she had an extraordinary vocal range and she was ridiculed for being overweight. Ironically, losing eighty pounds was partially blamed for the eventual and early loss of her voice bringing about the end of a life devoted to music.
Taking on – no – embodying the role of Callas is the incomparable Shelley Cooper who delivers a stunning portrayal of an extremely complex character with fluidity that resurrects the diva right before our eyes. She consummately captures the damaged child whose mother pushed her on to the stage to support her family that was impoverished by World War II and who then transforms into the world-renowned, imperious prima donna as adeptly as if she were Callas herself. There are places where Callas breaks the fourth wall and Cooper handles those impromptu moments with wit and spontaneity thereby drawing the audience in as another character.
In the supporting roles of the two sopranos are Madalynn Baez, who’s timid character fails to impress Callas and the second soprano is Sarah Lounsberry. Lounsberry’s character flees the stage after Callas’ waspish criticism but returns earning a compliment from the diva. She has the majority of the singing and while I’m not a particular fan of opera, Lounsberry’s performance was nothing short of breathtaking. As the tenor is Brent Behrens. His appearance is brief but his soaring aria leaves an indelible impression.
Lora Adams’ set design is simple and clean and employs the use of canvas backdrops painted to look like three-dimensional panels. They were so well done that it took me a bit of time to realize they were canvas and not flats and the addition of some columns and a few well-placed ferns renders a subtle and classic atmosphere to the set. There are two emotional retrospectives in the show where Callas reveals her past pains. Lighting Designer Alex Richardson places a spot light pointing straight down on Cooper. The result is very unflattering, much like those periods in Callas’ life.
So, in the words of Callas herself: “An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down. It starts in my imagination, it becomes my life, and it stays part of my life long after I’ve left the opera house.”
Master Class continues at The Black Box Theatre, 1623 5th Avenue in Moline Thursday through Saturday, May 21 through 23, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 24 at 2:00 p.m.
I’m Chris Hicks break a leg.