Albert Herring Revisited
By Scott Schumpert and Connie Di Grazia
In 1998 Benjamin Britten’s Comic Opera Albert Herring was staged at the University of North
Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) led by the talented artistic duo--Conductor, James
Allbritten and Director, Steven LaCosse. Interestingly the work also served as LaCosse’s
audition piece which proved to go quite well as the production was recognized by reporter
Gordon Sparber, of the Winston-Salem Journal, as the Best Opera in the region later that year.
This May, and twelve years later Allbritten and LaCosse are long-time Faculty and Staff
members revisiting this great work, once again taking you to Loxford, a small market-town in
East Suffolk during April and May of the year 1900. It is a unique and fortunate opportunity that
with the assistance of a talented group of designers from the School of Design and Production,
enables both Allbritten and LaCosse to reflect upon their past work and to find new ways to
improve the telling of this entertaining story.
The director maintains that Albert Herring is quite simply a “social comedy”. He likened the
characters to folks one would find in “Mayberry—where everyone knows everyone”. Like the
previous staging the vision for the design of this production stems from a combination of
influences largely from the Victorian and Edwardian time periods. As is customary in all of
LaCosse’s directorial endeavors since 1989 “collaboration is key”.
Scenic Designer, Brooke Robbins speaks of her vision “My main inspiration for Albert Herring
was the illustrations of Randolph Caldecott, a prominent English Victorian illustrator with a
light, airy style that I felt was appropriate for this comic opera. In designing the set, I worked
closely with Steve LaCosse, figuring out the moments where the scenery could support the
comedy.”
Costume Designer, Laura Maier conveys, “For my designs, I looked to the late Edwardian era for
inspiration. It was a time that was still rooted in heavy traditions of dress and modesty, before
the First World War instituted fabric regulations, which required fashions to change. Lady
Billows, as the elderly autocrat of the story, sets the tone. I have allowed her silhouette to drift
backwards to early Edwardian slightly, to reflect her 'old-fashioned' sensibilities. The younger
characters of the story have a much more youthful appearance to foreshadow the changing
attitudes and position of the youth in the coming years.” As is all collaborative work Maier
contends that costume design is in a constant state of evolution. “You must be willing to let the
designs expand and grow, as well as cut and edit as necessary. It begins with research and
sketches and many discussions with Steve and the other designers. Once the show moved into
the costume shop, the designs continued to evolve and change as I was purchasing fabrics and
pulling costumes and meeting with the drapers. Every person who works on a costume helps to
drive the entire design forward. It is a true collaboration to find the right formula of historical
accuracy, singer comfort, and visual appeal.”
Lighting Designer, Valerie Walz studied the period—the history and the social and religious
aspects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Interestingly her vision for the lighting design
however sprang from a painting that has been considered a masterpiece of the 18th century
Rococo period. “ When I first saw Jean-Honore Fragonard’s painting “L’escarpolette”, also
known as “The Swing” it struck me instantly as my inspiration…” She describes, “The light
delicately coming through the trees and giving high contrast highlights to the focal point of the
composition with a very soft feeling overall. Even though the period of the story and visual
research differ, there are a great many parallels…” LaCosse and Walz collaborated on the
opening of Act II. Walz describes that it will “… be a very atmospheric moment where one can
clearly see the light streaking in.” Walz continues, “Elsewhere the lighting will be subtle and
soft allowing the characters to move around with some punchy dramatic moments of theatricality
motivated by the music.”
Like Waltz, Wig and Makeup Designer Michael Ferguson, began his creative approach with
research from the period as well. Ferguson divulges “I looked for images that spoke to me both
as an ‘I want to see that hairstyle on that person on stage’.” Ferguson continues, “I took all of my
research to Steve to see in what ways our visions for the piece were the same and in what ways I
could change mine to better support his vision.” Like Waltz, Ferguson shared that his greatest
inspiration for designs came from two main sources outside of the time period—the drawings of
Charles Dana Gibson and images within the MGM motion picture, Meet Me in St. Louis.
Ferguson concurs, “Ultimately, the story that we are trying to tell has to be the same as what
Steve is putting on the stage. Fortunately, he is a very open and giving director and allows great
opportunity for the individual designer.”
Albert Herring will perform for a limited run Thursday, May 5th and Friday May 7 at 8:00pm,
and Sunday May 9 at 2:00pm in the deMille Theatre on the UNCSA campus.