 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 JEFF BERGQUIST |
When Jeff Bergquist,
Artistic Director of the New Playwrights Foundation, began taking roles
with the Casa Italiana Opera Company, he was struck by the many colorful
characters and diverse backgrounds in the group. After singing in
a few productions, Jeff approached Maestro Mario Leonetti, director of
the opera company, to pitch his idea for making a film about them.
With their 30th anniversay coming up, and the company planning to celebrate
with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s grand opera, “Don Carlo,” Jeff’s
timing was excellent and the Maestro agreed.
|
 JO CHRISTENSEN |
Jeff recruited Danish-born
director, Jo Christensen, with whom he had worked on previous New Playwrights
Foundation productions, to produce and direct the project and they began
videotaping coverage of rehearsals, interviews and finally the performance,
itself. But after completion of principal photography, the production
stalled for lack of funds and it became clear that what was needed was
an old pro with the digital editing equipment, time and commitment to see
it through to completion. So, Jeff approached fellow New Playwrights
Foundation member, Travis Edward Pike, to see if he would consider writing,
editing and co-producing the show.
|
 TRAVIS EDWARD PIKE |
Travis had the hardware, the software, the talent and the time, but was wary about committing to a feature film about the inner workings of a community opera company — until Jo explained her concept for the movie. It wasn't about the opera. It was about the people. And she didn’t want him to write a narrative. She wanted the principals to tell their tale through their actions and in their own words, culled from the 55 hours of interviews and rehearsals already in the can. Jo’s approach made it an enormous undertaking, but the more she talked, the more Travis like the idea. She was describing the same sorts of characters he knew from working with rock bands! The music might be different, but the problems and personalities certainly sounded familiar. |
| Jo and Travis reviewed the original digital video of the interviews, rehearsals, behind the scenes activities and the actual “Don Carlo” performance, taped the year before. Then, over the next year and a half, meeting once or twice a week, they logged all the footage, captured and transcribed all the elements they hoped to use in the final cut, and managed to hone the material down to just over six hours. Finally, settling on simple chronology for the spine, they began crafting the movie, discarding mismatches and weaving together those special audio and visual elements that were to become their 86 minute, non-fiction comedy, “VOLUNTEERS FOR VERDI.” |
|
|
|