Opera Production Design
Description
Opera Production Design Masterclass with Paris Mexis
Opera is the theatrical genre born from the fusion of music with all performing arts.
Within this synthesis, production design, the intention and method through which an opera is developed, constructed, and presented, plays a decisive role in how it is perceived by the audience. A well-crafted production can transform a musical work into an unforgettable multisensory experience, highlight its essence, and help us connect with the characters, the plot, the style, the moment, and ultimately the human experience conveyed through the words and especially through the music.
This Masterclass aims to shed light on the creative process behind this complex theatrical form: to introduce the primary creators of an opera production, their role in the final outcome, how they collaborate and to follow the creation of an opera from its earliest conceptual discussions and design to construction, rehearsals, and ultimately the performance.
Masterclass Objective
The objective of the Masterclass is for participants to gain the knowledge required to identify the intentions, goals, and key elements that make up an opera production, and to decode its creation and scenic outcome based on specific criteria.
Participants will also have the opportunity to explore the creative process behind opera production, to “eavesdrop” on the conversations that take place in the initial stages, to “peek” into the design studio, the workshops, and backstage, and to discover how stage “magic” is brought to life.
Information
Who It’s For
This masterclass is primarily intended for creators of all kinds who are interested in production design, set design, costume design, lighting design, makeup, wigs/hairstyling, and related fields. It is particularly valuable for set and costume designers who are interested in opera and musical theatre.
It is also open to anyone who is curious about opera and the creative process behind staging a full production. Opera and musical theatre singers, in particular, will have a unique opportunity to gain insight into the world that surrounds and supports them, a world that is often unfamiliar or unseen from their perspective.
Priority will be given to creators (designers) and professionals with a background in design and stage construction, based on their resume. Subsequently, preference will be given to individuals working in opera, musical theatre, ballet/dance, or theatre more broadly, such as singers, dancers, actors, etc. Remaining places may be filled by individuals with a general interest in opera.
What’s included
Two-day masterclass with a total duration of 8 hours, Workshops & Talks – Discussions, Specialized guided tour of the museum, Artistic round-table discussion and Certificate awards.
Dates: Monday, October 14 & Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Time: 17:00–21:00
Participation Fee: €150
Application Period opens Tuesday, September 10 and closes Saturday, October 5
Paris Mexis
Director, Set Designer, Costume Designer
Born in Athens, Paris Mexis studied scenography and design for performance in London (Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design: postgraduate studies in scenography and undergraduate studies in theatre: design for performance), and in Prague (Department of Stage Design, Academy of Performing Arts: opera design). He also studied interior architecture and decoration at AKTO and Middlesex University (graduated with distinction in Interior Architecture, 1998 & 1999), as well as music at the Protipo Peiramatiko Odeio (Model Experimental Conservatory) in Athens.
He is a multifaceted director, set and costume designer, and creative director, working across opera, theatre, video, television, communication, and advertising. As a director and/or designer, he has collaborated on opera, music theatre, and concert productions for numerous cultural institutions, festivals, and production companies in Greece and abroad, including: the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, the Greek National Opera, the Onassis Stegi Foundation, the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron), the Kyiv Opera, the Wiesbaden State Theatre, the Royal Opera of Versailles (on tour), the Linbury Theatre (Royal Opera House, London), the National Forum of Music in Poland, and the English Chamber Orchestra.
Source: https://virtualmuseum.nationalopera.gr/el/eikoniki-ekthesi/prosopa/meksis-paris-1650/