Never assume......

This advice I was given as a student by my tutor at The London Opera Centre, on the Production course, as a stage director. It came about that we had rehearsed a scene, and a cue was missed. "What went wrong ?" asked the tutor. Explaining that at the previous rehearsal a chair had been set on the stage, I assumed it would be set at this run through. "Did you check that it was with the props. off stage before this run ?" "No " Then came the "never assume" advice......but, I still do to this day, don't we all.... Which takes me back to my previous blog - treatment of cleaners. This morning I talked with a very nice lady who is from another country. When I complimented her on her thorough and efficient cleaning, plus attention to detail, and how difficult it can be to find "dedicated" staff with a pride in their work, she explained that she had not worked as a cleaner before leaving her home country, but had been in management, so had some idea of responsibility and a job well done in whatever capacity ... her lack of the language in her new domicile prevented her from entering management. "Many people just think I'm uneducated because I have to make my living here as a cleaner ".....
When singing in a production at The Royal Opera in London some years ago, I was surprised to hear one of the stage crew "heavy gang" asking me, with a very calm, educated accent, "Excuse me madam , may I come past you ?" Well - the usual term by the resident crew would have been more like "Oi ducky - move you're a.. !" with a lovely Cockney "twang "... Later, in the staff canteen, I asked the Oxford English speaking technician how he happened to be working with the stage crew. He explained that he was a qualified G.P = General Practitioner = family doctor, but had given that up because he was obliged to spend more of his time with form-filling and administration work, than contact in his surgery with his patients! He now had less responsibility, a higher salary , and time with his own family....so, don't assume, you never know what experience and skills people have...where they've been, or what they've done..
The one thing we all share in common is, using the air - today I was explaining that we often assume that singing is difficult because we find a phrase tricky - and I've already explained that confusion away, I hope.....get out there and enjoy yourself in performance, then maybe your audience will also, just don't overdo it by hanging on too long when you know a note is fantastic. One tenor, who shall be nameless, was singing in "Tosca" for the R.O.C,. London. At "Vittoria, Vittoria" he held the second one on rather too long, with an ecstatic expression because he knew it was a great sound, supported brilliantly with air - until a man in the audience shouted very loudly "OOOH, GET ON WITH IT !!!" - "Philistine" we all thought, but the listener was quite right - don't assume that the audience don't know what they're listening to... With one touring company we were in the depths of Cornwall. A member of the cast commented that he didn't think he'd need to sing as though he was at a major London opera house "down here in the sticks". This I pointed out was the wrong attitude, audiences, wherever you are, deserve the best performance you can give - they have paid you the compliment of coming to the performance. Much to the surpise of our company, after the show, who should come backstage to compliment us on the quality of the performance but, the Director of The Royal Opera, London! He happenend to have a cottage retreat just round the corner, and invited us to lunch the next day. "I didn't expect to hear such a good singing from a touring company ". Later, several of the singers were contracted by him for the R.O.C. - you never know who's listening .......
K..p b.......g....