“L.A. is a diverse city, but it is also a segregated one. It divides along both racial and economic lines,” says Librettist Amy Punt. “Meredith and Macario represent these divides, making their friendship unusual; and it’s these differences that drive their character arcs and the drama. The opera explores both the dangers of illegal immigration, while also reflecting women’s struggles in the Entertainment Industry.”
Tell us a little about what the storyline for this Opera is and how the idea came about?
There was this Japanese film called ‘Rashomon,’ which explored a relationship between a mentor and a mentee. At the time when it was filmed, which was back in 1950, that sort of relationship was not accepted, and so we were looking to write a mentorship kind of relationship that wasn’t your typical love story.
It was about not telling a story about the privileged people in L.A. and instead telling a story with substance; something that the rest of the world may not understand about L.A. A sense of how do they relate to it and how they don’t. I just remember it was the right storyline when we stumbled upon it.
Tell us a little bit about your journey as an artist.
I’ve been writing for 30 years now and there just is not a time where I wasn’t writing or processing the world on a page. I always knew who I was in that way. Mark and I have been working on our technique all these years, but for me, the stage is where I feel at home. I have a masters in filmmaking and I also teach screenwriting on a masters level. I do LOVE film but I don’t like the industry. When you see this show, you will see that.
Why did you choose Art Share as your venue? Is this something you would like to do more of?
I wish I had known about Art Share before because I have always wanted to live in an artist collective. It was a different experience the moment I walked through the door. I felt like it was home.
What was the casting process like for this show?
Well, my world has always been acting and I spent years in Chicago Theater as a Director. I know how to cast for a film but casting for an Opera is totally different because it’s the voice that matters not the acting. Casting for this was more difficult than anything else I’ve done before but with the help of Mark and his vision, it turned out to be a success.
What do you want the viewers to take away from this performance?
I think the take away for everyone is, if you’re profoundly unhappy where you are in life to still be able to recognize the importance of ambition. Meredith’s (female protagonist) process was being in the moment and doing something that’s fulfilling like, for example, growing a garden on her own. She always thought she was supposed to be a writer and she was unhappy pursuing to be a poet and a novelist but what she needed to do is to let it go and be a person in the world, which then it is possible to find contentment. It’s ultimately about finding a purpose.
How did you end up choosing Kristine McIntyre to be your Stage Director?
She found us! She’s a visionary who wanted Mark to write her a story to direct. She directed the world premiere (in Portland and in China) and came out to direct the L.A. Premiere.
What are you most excited about performing this show and what do you want the viewers to take away from this performance?
I am more excited to show the people who come that this is a special production and how special this artistic team is. Our projections guy is an amazing artist and we’ve had time to really evolve and develop the show so I highly recommend you go see it if you can. It’s so beautifully constructed.
Mark Weiser, Composer
Composer Mark Lanz Weiser has always had a passion for combining music and drama. He explores the ways drama can influence and shape music through his operas, art songs and concert music.
In 2015, Opera San Jose premiered Where Angels Fear to Tread, Mark’s opera based on the novel by E. M. Forster. It was described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “potent and well-made” and “ravishing” by the San Jose Mercury News. Both publications included the opera on their top 10 lists of 2015 musical events. The same year, Mark was awarded the ASCAP Foundation Rudolf Nissim Prize for his second symphony (Sinfonia Magalhães), a musical evocation of Magellan’s circumnavigation of the globe. Other awards include the Ithaca College International Heckscher Composition Prize, the NATS National Art Song competition and residencies at the Yaddo colony in New York, the Virginia Center for the Creative Art, and the 2017 Los Angeles Hear Now festival. His music has been published by Boosey & Hawkes and Editions Bim International Music Publishing.
Mark received his bachelor’s degree in piano performance and master’s degree in composition from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. He is currently Assistant Professor in Composition and Director of Undergraduate Music Theory at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music.
Amy Punt, Librettist
Amy is a Los Angeles based screenwriter, essayist and freelance journalist. Her writings have been featured in Salon and The Weeklings, and she has appeared as a commentator on MSNBC. She’s developed scripts with Warner Brothers Animation and guided screenwriters through a professional development program at The Writers Boot Camp, L.A.’s premier screenwriting training facility.
Amy began life as an actor in Chicago. She received her B.A. in Theatre from Hope College in Holland Michigan and immediately started directing and producing for Chicago stages such as The Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Bailiwick Repertory, and Strawdog Ensemble.
Amy then left Chicago theatre to build an acting troupe at Willow Creek Community Church, which boasted a congregation of 25,000 members. She went on to study film at Regent University and received a Master of Directing for Cinema/TV and Communication. WhileThe Place Where You Started is her first foray into opera, it is her return to the stage, a place where she feels very much at home.
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“A remarkable opera” – James Bash, Northwest Reverb
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