Pat Greene is Bungalower Media’s first sponsored Resident Reporter. Greene has joined our team as our Arts and Culture Correspondent, supported by the efforts of Interstruct Design + Build, an award-winning Orlando-based design and build firm.
Opera Orlando is one of my favorite things about Orlando, with some very talented people involved in every aspect of production. The most notable element, for me, is the stage sets and designs, for which the artistic director, Grant Preisser, is primarily responsible.
I decided to ask Grant eight questions. Some of them are two-part questions.
- Grant, you are the artistic director for Opera Orlando. What does your job entail, and how much creative freedom do you have?
As artistic director, I am responsible for selecting the repertoire to present each season, building and hiring the creative and production teams, and casting for the season. Specific to my job with Opera Orlando, I also produce and manage all of the marketing creative and campaigns that promote the Company and each production. Separate from all of that, I serve as resident scenic designer, and also direct one to two operas a season. I work closely with the general director, who also happens to be my brother, so it is a bit of a negotiation in terms of what gets programmed and how we approach each opera. In general though, I have a lot of freedom to explore and execute the work, for which I am very grateful.
- What is your background, and how do those experiences relate to what you are doing?
My background is a bit circuitous. I was born and raised in Orlando, specifically Apopka, and I attended Dr. Phillips High School, where I was very involved with the theater program. This built a real appreciation and passion for performing arts, and I then attended Florida State University (FSU), majoring in music with a focus on vocal performance. This is where I became involved in opera, singing in the choruses there, and working backstage as a stage manager and then production coordinator. Life took a bit of a turn after that, as I then got a master’s degree in interior design. With that degree, I focused on commercial design work – corporate offices, healthcare, and education spaces – ultimately serving as director of design with Heery International. I also began teaching design, becoming chair of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Atlanta interior design program. I got more involved with higher education administrative work with SCAD, and I moved to their Hong Kong location to supervise and run all operations, launching seven new programs during my time there. I then went back to FSU for a second master’s in opera production, specifically directing, and have made that my career focus over the past ten years. Working in opera has allowed me to marry my performing arts, music, design, and project management experience all into one job, well, multiple jobs within one industry.
- Do you have influences that inspire your designs? Are you influenced by other art forms and designers who didn’t work in opera or theater?
I have a deep love and appreciation for the classic opera auteurs of the mid- to late 20th century, specifically Jean-Pierre Ponelle and Franco Zefferelli. They were both directors and designers, creating projects on a grand scale. I personally love the over-the-top and excessive nature of opera, and like to celebrate that. However, I am also a huge art and architecture lover. I gravitate to artists like Mark Rothko, Edward Hopper, and George Seurat, as they have a clear vision and aesthetic language, while also being thoughtful and tangibly conceptual with their work. Architects like I.M. Pei, Michael Graves, and Norman Foster are also a huge inspiration, as they push form and function forward while also being cognizant of the past. This tracks for me in what is needed in the production of opera.
- What other interests do you have? Do any of these interests carry over to what you do for work?
Most of my other interests still live in the arts. I love movies and find a lot of inspiration there for my directing/design work. I am also an avid reader and love classic literature, which has served me well in understanding the lineage of a lot of opera. I love to travel, and I really enjoyed living abroad. Getting to see historical sites in person and getting to immerse myself in a new culture has not only influenced my work but also changed my worldview in so many positive ways.
- Are there operas you would like to see performed by Opera Orlando, or stories you would like to see adapted for an opera?
We are just now finishing our ninth season at Opera Orlando, and there are so many operas we have yet to produce, especially considering opera’s four-hundred-year history. I am a big advocate for baroque music and opera (Handel, Monteverdi, Glück, etc), and I would love to see us produce more of these works. On the flip side, there is so much new work being produced. I would love to see more variety in genres for opera. A really good horror story, murder mystery, or true comedy would be amazing to produce on stage. Opera tends to take itself too seriously, and not everything has to be “important.”
- I love the opera, and this opera company. I’ve found that many people I know who like other art forms aren’t interested in opera. What would you say to people who dismiss the opera?
Opera can be intimidating, and I think this stems from it being approached as sacrosanct and academic. Opera producers have been so concerned with being “correct” and honoring the composer’s intent, which is off-putting to a general audience member who simply wants to be entertained. However, there is nothing like experiencing an opera live. People don’t realize that opera is acoustic. The singers are not amplified. Opera is as athletic as any sporting event. The stamina and physical commitment to the craft are unparalleled, and to watch this in action and feel the power of the human voice is something else. Opera is also all the performing arts on steroids. It is big visuals, big sound, and big emotions. First-time audience members are always blown away by how accessible and overwhelming opera can be.
- Which stage sets, productions, or any other creative project are you the most proud of?
I am my harshest critic, so this is a tough question for me. Given the adage that you are only as good as your most recent project, I would have to say I am pretty pleased with our recent double bill of BEATRICE + BENEDICT / CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA. I directed and designed the production, but also adapted and translated BEATRICE + BENEDICT into an English one-act in collaboration with librettist Alan Olejniczak. These are two very different operas that I set in the same town on the same day. There were cameos and crossovers between the two throughout the evening, and though these are “classic” pieces, the presentation was new and felt fresh. It was also nice to pair the very tragic CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA with the light-hearted and fun BEATRICE + BENEDICT. Artistically, everything I set out to do was accomplished, which was pretty satisfying.
- Do you have other creative aspirations?
I am very lucky to have a lot of outlets for my artistry and creativity. I hope to continue to direct and design, but I am also more and more interested in creating new work. I would love to hone my libretto-writing skills and write original shows. Maybe present a world premiere production of my own conception right here in Orlando.
