'Screw' turns on the 'wicked'

It may seem like a Jamesian dream, but recent events indicate that Henry James is alive and well and living in Malibu. With many recent adaptations of his works into movies, the author is competing with the likes of Michael Crichton and John Grisham.

During the past two years, Hollywood has brought us film versions of "The Portrait of a Lady," "Washington Square" and "The Wings of the Dove." But long before the Jamesian film uprising, a tale by the dark author was turned into an opera. James' short story, "The Turn of the Screw," was developed into a chamber opera by Benjamin Britten in 1954. University Productions and the School of Music are presenting their version of the opera as a part of the Opera Theatre's winter production.

Courtesy of University Productions Brian Pfaltzgraff, Alex Vassos and Deborah Gover star in the University Opera Theatre production of Benjamin Britten's "The Turn of the Screw."

The story of "The Turn of the Screw" centers on a new governess who comes to a Victorian household to oversee the care of two young boys. But she begins to notice strange occurrences in the children's behavior; the boys begin to see ghosts. As apparitions of former employees of the household, the boys' former governess and deceased butler appear, and scare everyone willy-nilly. In response to the sightings, the boys begin to perform evil acts.

"The Turn of the Screw" is directed by Nicolette Molnàr, a visiting freelance opera director. Molnàr is from London, and has worked mostly in Europe. She recently directed a revival of "Cosi fan tutte" at the English National Opera.

"The English National Opera is different than the Royal Opera House, which is like the (Metropolitan Opera). The ROH invites international singers to perform for them. The ENO performs entirely in English. I think that the ENO has more interesting directors," Molnàr said.

Molnàr made her American directing debut at the Santa Fe Opera, the famous open-air outdoor theater set in the deserts of New Mexico. While working at Santa Fe years before she directed a production of "Cosi fan tutte" there, Molnàr became aware of Martin Katz, a University Music professor and international pianist.

Katz, famous for his longstanding career as accompanist to the great Marilyn Horne, will wave his baton this weekend before the University Philharmonic Orchestra, which provides the 13 chamber players who support the singers in "The Turn of the Screw."

Molnàr was discovered by an acquaintance of Joshua Major, the department chair of the University's Opera Theatre. "A director at Santa Fe knew Josh Major, and he referred me to him," Molnàr said.

PREVIEW
	The Turn of the Screw Mendelssohn Theater Thur.-Sat. at 8 p.m Sunday at 2 p.m.

Following the reference, Major invited Molnàr to direct the winter opera, which usually is chosen after a series of auditions. University voice students audition not knowing what opera will be presented. The choice is made after the auditions, when the creative team knows what type of voices they have available. When Molnàr first visited the Mendelssohn Theater, where the production was to be housed, she instantly thought of "The Turn of the Screw."

"I first saw 'The Turn of the Screw' at the New York City Opera in the late '70s or early '80s when I was a student. I am familiar with a few of Britten's works. I directed 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' for the Royal College of Music a few years back," Molnàr said.

"But I find 'Turn of the Screw' to be Britten's strongest piece. Every line of the opera is important. It is scored for every part. Every player in the orchestra is a soloist. It was written for a chamber orchestra of 12 or 13 players," Molnàr said.

"I find the story fascinating because of its ambiguity. I've tried to keep the opera as ambiguous as possible, because the audience will be able to look at it in several different ways. It presents evil as if it were a human attribute. It looks at where evil comes from. Is it from within? How do we perceive evil?" Molnàr said.

"I am not a musician. I simply have the appreciation for what I hear. The music is fascinating because it varies from scene to scene; it has a smooth progression. I love the many different moods that Britten has created with this opera. At one moment you have music that surrounds carefree children walking through a park, and in the next few moments the atmosphere changes into uneasiness," Molnàr said.

"The Turn of the Screw" features two boy trebles - young singers whose voices are unbroken by the tremors of adolescence. "It takes a lot of responsibility to put on a young performer. The role of Miles is the second-most important character in the opera. Although everything pivots around the governess, Miles is a large role for a child to take on," Molnàr said. "The role is challenging and quite daring; it's difficult to do."

"The Turn of the Screw" presents a world where ghosts aren't just figments of the imagination. The characters of the story are thrust upon a supernatural subtext that makes them choose between good and evil. "Often in our lives we tend to see things in black and white, good and evil, and right and wrong. But things aren't like that," Molnàr said.

"When preparing for the opera, I had to deal with the fact that both James and Britten may have taken a side. Britten gave the ghosts voices. But I questioned whether or not the ghosts were real. Are they really there or are they a port of the governess' imagination?" Molnàr said.

"The opera is about soul-searching. It examines what we go through when we experience what we view as wicked. It looks at how we face it and combat it. Is evil outside ourselves, or a part of us?"

Tickets to "The Turn of the Screw" are available to students for $7 at the League Ticket Office. Limit 2 student tickets per ID. For more information call 765-0450.

03-25-98