Opera Atelier's Don Giovanni

Opera Atelier's Don Giovanni (Photo by Bruce Zinger)

Opera can be such a serious affair but in the case of Opera Atelier's presentation of Don Giovanni, the goal was laughter. Director Marshall Pynkoski introduced the opening night production by equating Mozart's character of Don Giovanni to Warren Beatty which in and of itself caused much mirth. He also said  that the two ways to create a comedic opera were 1. speed and 2. youth. By filling his cast with attractive and trim young singers, dancers and actors, and by keeping a lively pace, he achieved both goals and the audience responded with laughter throughout the show and with a standing ovation at the end.

What I learned about Costumes on Stage

On Saturday, the Friends of the Textile and Costume at the Royal Ontario Museum hosted an event called Costumes on Stage which featured co-director of Opera Atelier Marshall Pynkoski, freelance costume designer Martha Mann,  and costumer/cutter Rita Brown.  As the event photographer, I had only half an ear open to the presentation but I managed to scribble down a few notes nonetheless.

Detail from Costume designed by Martha Mann

Marshall Pynkoski, co-director of Opera Atelier, spoke with great enthusiasm about his love of the 18th century as inspiration for his productions. One of the challenges he expressed was how to bring forward the depths of emotion from the actors so that the production did not become "just a parade of gorgeous costumes". To show costumes in motion, four Opera Atelier dancers took to the stage.

Dancers from Opera Atelier

Martha Mann, who is designed Opera Atelier's costumes for the Marriage of Figaro including those shown above, talked about her process as a designer which encompassed:

1. Analysis: an initial analysis of the music and words to understand the period and setting of the production, the time of day, season of the year, social status of the characters
2. Concept Meeting with the Director: an effort to understand what the director is trying to say with this production and to clarify questions from her initial analysis
3. Research: a process which includes looking through picture files, paintings, books to identify motifs for the period, silhouettes and shapes of clothing, colour and styles of fabrics.
4. Rough drawings: development of initial pencil and watercolour sketches for costumes to establish shape, colour pallete for presentation and review with director, set designer and other parties
5. Final drawings: finalization of sketches as a communication tool for director. cutter, sewer, wig person, jewellery accessories, director and actor

Costume by Martha Mann for Opera Atelier, Marriage of Figaro

Although the sketches are "final", there still is much work to be done and that is when someone like Rita Brown steps in.  Before cutting can begin, the concept for the costume may have to be modified depending on the size of an actor. As well, the availability of fabrics can affect the desired result and must be considered. A cutter must work closely with the designer and the actor through the various fittings to help define the character in visual form.  According to Rita Brown, a "successful costume as one that is a blend of illusion and reality, clearly delineates the character, costs little, and wears forever".

Costumes from the Shaw Festival by Rita Brown

For both designer and cutter, two key challenges were identified. One was that the modern body is not corseted from a young age and that affects the creation of costumes with a defined period silhouette. Actors must be able to breathe and move freely and tight corsets are not comfortable on modern bodies. Another issue was the availability of fabrics for period productions. Since the stage never deals in reality, finding and choosing a fabric that meets budgetary constraints and which creates the illusion of belonging to a certain period is necessary.  In Martha Mann's words, "a costume will always reflect the aesthetic of now." 

Dr. Alexandra Palmer, Rita Brown, Marshall Pynkoski, Martha Mann

Culture Days

Culture is on this weekend's agenda. There are so many fun and fabulous cultural activities to chose from that it is hard to pick just one!

Martha Mann, Marshall Pynkoski, Rita Brown
Costumes on Stage
Photo by Ingrid Mida 2010

Costumes on Stage at the ROM:
Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 10 am to 1 pm
This event, presented by the Friends of Textiles and Costume at the Royal Ontario Museum, focuses on the process of costume creation - from the director's original concept to the garment worn on stage. The speakers will be Marshall Pynkoski of Opera Atelier co-artistic director; Martha Mann, costume designer for Opera Atelier's recent production of Marriage of Figaro; and Rita Brown, costumer for the Shaw Festival.  (Note: This event is not a free Culture Day event and advance registration is required at the ROM.)

Bata Shoe Museum

Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 1 p.m.

See a demonstration of traditional Tibetan boot making and a special one day exhibition of Tibetan footwear. There will also be two scheduled guided tours of the museum.

Canadian Art Hop Tour
Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 1 to 5 p.m.
Take a gallery tour around Toronto. Stops include galleries in these areas: Richmond Street West, King Street West/Tecumseth, Queen West, Distillery District, Yorkville, Ossington and Dundas Street West (loop Gallery, of which I am a member will be a stop at 320 pm). To learn more about what's on at loop Gallery, check out the loop Gallery blog, of which I am blogmaster!

Rehearsal of the Canadian Opera Company's Aida at the Four Season's Centre

Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

The public is invited to an orchestra rehearsal of the COC’s new production of Verdi’s Aida. A pre-rehearsal chat in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre gives audience members insight into the opera and the rehearsal process at 6:45 pm. Tickets to Rings 3 and 4 of R. Fraser Elliott Hall will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday. 

Culture Days is a cross Canada happening over September 24-26, 2010. It is designed to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. For more information on Culture Days please visit this link.

More Costumes on Stage

Feast your eyes on another beautiful costume design from Martha Mann, created for Opera Atelier's 2010 production of The Marriage of Figaro.  Created by Mozart and first performed in 1786, the opera features two female characters, The Countess Rosina and her maid Susanna, in a single day of madness in the Spanish court.

This lovely gown is for Susanna, the maid. Consider the lovely colour harmony in the choice of complementary coloured fabrics with peach tones for the Countess (see yesterday's post) and the lovely pale blue tones for Susanna.

Martha Mann will be speaking at Costumes on Stage event at the Royal Ontario Museum on Saturday, September 25, 2010 along with Marshall Pynkowski of Opera Atelier and Rita Brown of the Shaw Festival. Tickets are now available on the ROM website under events for September 25, 2010.

Costumes on Stage continued

Having had the privilege of photographing the costumes designed by Martha Mann for Opera Atelier's production of The Marriage of Figaro, I can attest to their exquisite beauty. The details of the gown for the Countess are simply breathtaking. I offer you my proof below in these photos. 

If you'd like to hear Martha Mann speak about the process of translating the director's vision into a design sketch, come to the ROM's panel discussion called Costumes on Stage on September 25, 2010. Tickets are available now.

Costumes on Stage

Opera Atelier Costume for the Countess, Marriage of Figaro
Design by Martha Mann
Photo by Ingrid Mida, copyright 2010

Have you ever wondered how a costume comes into being? How does a director express his vision, how does the designer interpret that into a sketch and how does the cutter translate the sketch into a garment? These are the questions that a panel of three distinguished speakers will address at the ROM's Costumes on Stage event on Saturday, September 25, 2010. 

Opera Atelier's co-founder and co-director Marshall Pynkowski will lead off the event in a discussion with Textiles and Costume curator Dr. Alexandra Palmer about the process of conceiving a vision for a production. Then dancers from the Opera Atelier will demonstrate costumes in motion with a performance on stage.

Martha Mann, Marshall Pynkowski and Rita Brown
Photo by Ingrid Mida, copyright 2010

Following a break, award winning costume designer Martha Mann will talk about the process of interpreting the the director's vision to create a costume sketch. And then Rita Brown, costumer/cutter for the Shaw Festival, will talk about the process of creating a garment from a sketch.  

This event, hosted by the Friends of the Textile and Costume at the Royal Ontario Museum,    is an absolute must for afficiandos of the opera, ballet or theatre, as well as students of fashion design, art history or theatre programs. Tickets are available now. 

Opera Atelier Costume Designer wins Award

Photograph of Sleeve Detail of Countess Almaviva Costume by Ingrid Mida 2010

A few weeks ago I had the distinct pleasure of photographing two of the Opera Atelier costumes from their recent production of The Marriage of Figaro. While handling these gowns during the shoot, I was struck by the exquisite detail and workmanship. Note the delicate sleeve detail with the ribbon roses in the photo above.

Photograph of Countess Almaviva Costume Petticoat Detail by Ingrid Mida 2010

I was compelled to photograph the beautiful petticoat peaking from underneath the overskirt of the gown worn by Countess Almaviva. This petticoat would not have been visible as it is otherwise completely hidden by the overskirt. Only a true artist would care what lies beneath. For this reason, it was not a surprise to me when I heard that costume designer Martha Mann won an award last night for her work on this production.

Martha Mann received her first Dora Mavor Moore Award yesterday for Outstanding Original Costume Design for Opera Atelier’s production of The Marriage of Figaro. The Dora Mavor Moore Awards recognize the outstanding achievements of Toronto’s performing arts industry annually in five categories: General Theatre, Independent Theatre, Dance, Opera, and Theatre for Young Audiences.


“Working with Martha Mann on The Marriage of Figaro was a thrill for the entire creative team,” said Opera Atelier’s co-artistic director Marshall Pynkoski.  “We are delighted that her superb artistry has been celebrated in her debut production with Opera Atelier.”

Congratulations Martha!

Opera Atelier and the Marriage of Figaro

Photo: Bruce Zinger / Artists: Phillip Addis, Wallis Giunta, Carla Huhtanen, Patrick Jang, Peggy Kriha Dye, Curtis Sullivan and Cavell Wood

If you have an affinity for Marie Antoinette or the 17th and 18th centuries, you will take great delight in seeing a performance of Opera Atelier. This Toronto-based company brings the 17th and 18th centuries to life on the stage by producing opera, ballet and drama from those centuries. Drawing on the aesthetics of that time and reinterpreting the experience for modern audiences, the company also makes the period more accessible to audiences by performing their operas in English.

Photo: Bruce Zinger / Artists: Phillip Addis, Carla Huhtanen and Patrick Jang

The Opera Atelier is currently performing Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro at the restored Elgin Theatre in Toronto. This enchanting comedy was first performed at the private home of Joseph Hyacinthe Vaudreuil prior to its official debut in Paris at the Comedie Francaise in 1784. Although I've seen this opera several times before, it wasn't until I saw the Opera Atelier's version that I appreciated the subtle nuances of the repartee between the main characters. Although some opera fans might disparage an English interpretation, I loved it, especially as it sparked new ideas for my Revolutionary Fashion series of textile works.  Plus there is much eye candy on display, including exquisite sets by one of my favourite Toronto artists Gerard Gauci, divine period costumes from the talented Martha Mann, and some very handsome actors wearing snug velvet breeches!

Photo: Bruce Zinger / Artists: Phillip Addis  and Peggy Kriha Dye

There are only four performances left on the schedule this week: April 27, April 28, April 30 and May 1st. If you don't live in Toronto, watch for Opera Atelier on tour as the company has been to New York, Houston, Stuttgart, Bremen, London, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo and Chateau de Versailles in France.

Opera Atelier
416-703-3767 ext. 22