Interview: THE TURN OF THE SCREW Debuts at Hub Opera Ensemble

Just in time for Halloween, Hub Opera Ensemble presents Benjamin Britten's opera The Turn of the Screw. Directed by Joe Marshner and musically directed by Andy Rosenfeld, The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a governess who arrives at the Bly House under mysterious circumstances and a strange set of instructions. She is instructed to take care of the two young children and as the opera progresses, discovers the children may be possessed and ghosts of former employees may still haunt the mansion.

"One of the great joys of this piece is the music itself: Britten's music is extremely atmospheric, you might even say cinematic. The sound world creates a really scary backdrop for the drama. That said, the music is intricate, complex and it's tricky to do justice to it. The group has been wonderful to work with-the cast is great" said Nicolas Simpson, who plays Peter Quint

"I really enjoyed working with all the other talented singers in the cast. Each person has a unique sound and distinct point of view when it comes to their character and the piece in general" said Keely Borland, who plays Flora.

The Turn of the Screw is based on a 1898 novella, and the supernatural story has much darker elements than a typical opera.

"The novella is much more ambiguous than the opera in that because the Governess is narrating in the first person, the reader has the option of discrediting her as an unreliable narrator who is actually insane. Britten characterizing the ghosts and giving them spoken lines forces us to reinterpret the idea of the unreliable narrator. These kinds of conversations are my favorite part of creating a work of art as a team - everyone's ideas have the potential to deepen our own understanding of what we're doing as individuals" said Tanya Ruth Langlois, who plays Mrs. Grose

"I think one of the most difficult aspects of the piece is getting the vocal lines to flow in an organic way. Britten's music is very complex and often doesn't give the singers much in the way of help. As for my character, Flora, I think the the most challenging aspect is when exactly does she truly become 'corrupt' or 'ill-intentioned'? And what sparked it? We see a very clear arc with her because she begins happy and carefree and ultimately ends in a very dark place" said Borland

The cast faced a unique challenge of bringing darker characters to life.

"This role, the Governess, has by far been the hardest role I have ever worked on. The stamina to sing throughout the entire opera and the unraveling of her mindset from the beginning to end are challenging, yet rewarding! This role in particular is not very dramatically action packed physically (besides the singing, of course!), most of the "action" takes place in her mind. It can be challenging to hold that focus and make sure it's understandable to an audience member" said Emily Riley on playing the Governess.

"For me, the biggest challenge was being a mezzo-soprano singing a soprano role. Mrs. Grose is in her 60's, but she sings high and fast while simultaneously having to physically move slowly. It took a while for me to get that into my body!" said Tanya.

"Peter Quint is by far the darkest character I've played. He is a man who in life seduced the first Governess, Miss Jessel, and abused Miles. He seeks to control the people and circumstances in his life. Like so many people who abuse children, he is a sociopath. While I don't share personality qualities with Quint, we all have a dark side, so I try to tap into that and magnify it to extremes to play this character. As you can imagine, tapping into such a creepy and dark space is mentally difficult, and we have the very complex and intricate music to sing as well. It makes for a fascinating and somewhat disturbing evening at the theater" said Simpson

The cast of The Turn of the Screw is ready to bring the spooky story to life for an audience.

"This is truly a special, slightly dark treat! Definitely perfect to get one in the mood for Halloween! The Turn of the Screw is not done often in the States and Hub Opera Ensemble has truly taken the time to put together an incredible cast. The venue, albeit far from the DC or Baltimore metro areas, allows for affordable tickets, thus making it accessible!" said Riley

"The Turn of the Screw is definitely not your typical opera! It is full of clever music and it leaves the ending open for interpretation. What a perfect way to celebrate the spooky month of October than with a good old-fashioned ghost story" said Borland

"There's a great twist and ambiguity at the end of the piece, and the viewer can decide for themselves what they think happens. The story combined with the atmospheric, beautiful score will delight and scare you a bit, and the supernatural element will help get you ready for Halloween!" said Simpson

The Turn of the Screw also features Lindsey Paradise as Miles and Katie Baughman as Miss Jessel. The Turn of the Screw runs October 9 at 7:30 PM and October 11 at 3:00 PM. All performances occur in the Kepler Theater at Hagerstown Community College, 11400 Robinwood Drive in Hagerstown, MD. Tickets are $25 for an advanced rate general ticket and $30 at the door. For more info or to purchase tickets online, please visit http://www.huboperaensemble.org/

Photo Credit: Perk Hull Design Courtesy of Hub Opera Ensemble