
Q & A: Steven C. Kemp on Opera San José’s New ‘Bluebeard’s Castle’
By Francisco Salazar(Credit: Morgan Miller)
On Feb. 15, Opera San José will open a new production of Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle.” The opera is known for its intimate but eerie qualities and features a cast of two singers on stage. For the new production, Shawna Lucey is directing the work which features many hidden things that bride Judith will discover in her new husband’s home of Duke Bluebeard. Additionally, the production features items from prior Opera San José productions like “The Marriage of Figaro,” “Tosca,” “Il Segreto,” and “Cinderella.”
OperaWire spoke to set designer Steven C. Kemp regarding the new production. Kemp is a set designer for opera, theatre, and events who has worked for more than 40 opera companies and over 50 productions in NYC as well as for a multitude of regional theatres, cruise ships and international tours.
OperaWire: Tell me about the design concept for Bluebeard’s Castle.
Steven C. Kemp: We want Judith and the audience to feel extremely trapped in this oppressive but bizarrely romantic gothic space and intrigued by the presence of these seven doors crucial to the story. The bones of the space are intended to feel like a medieval dungeon with no natural light where the Duke has attempted to warm his lair with his collection of trophies and antiquities, especially an overwhelming amount of ornate sources of candlelight. This materialistic accumulation mirrors his sinister collection of past wives and visually creates a rich backstory of his castle with these layers added through time.
OW: How has it been to work with Shawna Lucey and how has your work developed with her over the years?
SCK: Opera San José General Director/CEO Shawna Lucey and I first worked together during the height of the pandemic on a puppet production of “Amahl and the Night Visitors” at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. This really afforded us a unique opportunity to spend much more time together doing a deep dive into that piece which just fostered a really strong base for our artistic connection. We actually both brought very similar conceptual research into our very first meeting for that show and immediately felt on the same page. That has evolved into a great shorthand that jumpstarts our collaborations with a really exciting energy right from the start that continues to opening night.
OW: You have put easter eggs into the design of this production with doors from past Opera San José productions. How did that concept come about?
SCK: Since we wanted to make the Duke this hoarder of antiquities, we got excited with the idea of having a variety of architectural influences adorning the space. This is my 29th design for OSJ since 2010 and they have the ability to save the sets for rentals and remounts. We thought it would be effective to pull from my past shows and feature some of these highly detailed and ornate doors from different periods and cultures as if the Duke has ripped them from different spaces in his travels. Using these past resources in a new and exciting way allowed us to then reallocate our budget to enhance the overall scale of the space as well as focus on the magic we see in the rooms as they are revealed. It additionally serves a bit of nostalgia the audience that might connect some of the doors to their memories of previous productions.
OW: “Bluebeard’s Castle” moves through a castle. Are the sets moveable or how do you create the illusion that the action is happening throughout different parts of the castle?
SCK: The action all takes place in a single hall of the castle where Judith is confronted with these seven foreboding closed doors. Each door is opened one by one revealing a large world beyond that expands the space in an increasingly surreal and surprising way.
OW: Compared to other operas, how is this one different and what are the major challenges when designing?
SCK: The single setting and small cast of two singers which create the intimacy of this piece really sets it apart from the main operatic repertoire where you are used to parades of grand spaces filled with a gigantic chorus. It allowed us to think much more in terms of a setting for an intimate play than a grand opera. Though we wanted to create an epic scale with the height of the space we pushed the whole set very far downstage to place the action completely in the laps of the audience which will amplify the acting and connection to the drama. That is something that would be very challenging to do with a grand opera like “Aida” where you need space for whole armies marching across the stage!
OW: Based on the pictures, it seems to be a classic set. What did you base the sets on and what did you study to get your images for the set?
SCK: I started by looking at classic horror films such as Bela Lugosi’s “Dracula” and also at different medieval dungeons and dark gothic chambers. It quickly became about light and texture and finding inspiration in maximalist uses of candles to transform these dark and cavernous, oppressive spaces.
OW: How is it to design for Opera San José and compared to other stages, how does this one differ?
SCK: I have always felt the gorgeously adorned historic California Theatre is such a perfect size for both the audience and the stage, a classic jewel box theatre. Every seat in the house and especially the mezzanine feels well connected to the stage and on top of the action (not to mention the wonderful acoustics). The stage is more similar in scale to a Broadway house versus a large touring space where many companies present opera, which allows for a more efficient deployment of resources to fill the space in a successful way.
OW: Tell me about working with the entire production team.
SCK: Opera San José General Director/CEO Shawna Lucey is fantastic about fostering a family atmosphere with the world class artists she puts together, from the whole tech staff to the design team. This is only my second show with the other designers, lighting designer Michael Clark and Costume Designer Cait Cisek, but it feels as if we have been designing together our whole careers.
And then there is our props master, Lori Scheper-Kesel who I have been working with for 15 years starting on the same production in 2010. Her skills and artistry are unmatched in the industry in my mind, and I am so thankful for all these years of collaboration and how much she enhances my designs with her detailed work.
The scene shop supervisor Chris Kesel started one show later in 2011, and I similarly treasure our collaboration with his superhuman carpentry skills and never meeting a challenge that he hasn’t overcome while simultaneously holding the importance of the art above all. That I feel is through line that the whole technical staff strives to achieve which makes OSJ a very special place to have worked over all these years.
OW: What do you hope audiences take away from this production?
SCK: That there are consequences for your actions and that the unsettling and sinister world we created helps make the story as impactful as possible.