Interview with "Ballad of Baby Doe" Stage Director David Carl Toulson

David Carl Toulson

Operatic Saint Louis recently interviewed David Carl Toulson, stage director of Winter Opera Saint Louis' upcoming St. Louis Premiere of The Ballad of Baby Doe. No stranger to St. Louis, David has stage directed for both Webster University and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. This production marks his debut with Winter Opera.

This production marks your debut with Winter Opera Saint Louis, but you are no stranger to this city, having worked for OTSL in recent years. What do you most enjoy about working in St. Louis?

I think the thing that impresses me the most about creating opera in Saint Louis is the sense of community that surrounds the art form. Winter Opera Saint Louis is the third organization I have worked for in the area, and in all of my experiences here I have found there to incredible support from the public. This blurring between the public and the producing companies is wonderful; it keeps opera from inadvertently becoming an ‘ivory tower’ art from and allows it to be a more organic and vibrant experience.

Whenever preparing twentieth century works like The Ballad of Baby Doe, do you feel the need to approach them differently than Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, etc., or do you find modern operas to be no different?

For me the initial approach is the same. I take a hard look at the characters to try to understand their desires and their motivations and let that be the basis for my stage direction. I then listen to the music to help me determine in what manner they go about acting on their motivations. If the music were atonal or very disjunct, it might affect the way I move people about the stage, but in the case of Baby Doe, the music is very lyrical which leads me to take a more naturalistic approach to the stage direction.

What aspects of The Ballad of Baby Doe—in terms of its score, libretto or both—did you find inspiring as you prepared your staging of the piece?

I am amazed at how theatrically the score is written. In preparing to direct the show, Moore’s and Latouche’s intentions as to mood and movement were very clear to me. Having such a solid framework to base my direction on has made the rehearsal process a pleasure.

What do you believe makes "Baby Doe" such an enduring story, especially for opera?

I believe the staying power of the Baby Doe story has two major aspects. The first is its basis in American history. Using an American theme for this opera helps to make it instantly accessible and relatable to an American audience. More importantly though is the universal struggle of the principal trio. The story of Baby Doe is the story of a love triangle. There are no villains in the opera. As the opera unfolds, we as an audience can relate to the difficult decisions they make and their struggles become our own.

Douglas Moore’s score and John Latouche’s libretto form a work of tremendous dramatic and emotional scale. In this regard, have there been any particular moments or scenes that you have found especially challenging during preparation?

I have to say, all of the scenes come with their individual challenges and rewards. The final scene is worthy of note in that in it Horace is looking back on his life. He causes snippets of the opera and other moments of his past to appear on stage. Stepping away from reality and trying to represent someone’s inner thoughts on stage is always a challenge. I hope you find my solutions credible.

Conversely, were there any scenes in which you knew exactly what you wanted to do?

I can’t say that anything came particularly easy, but when I prepare a scene, once I boil it down and find its core the ideas usually come. I find that if I am struggling when planning a scene, I usually haven’t yet discovered its central meaning. When that happens, I try to take a step back, reevaluate the scene, and then try again.

Latouche’s libretto calls for a variety of locales both interior and exterior and covers a specific era of American history: the 1880s and '90s in Colorado and Washington D.C. How has the “look” of the opera come to life through collaborating with scenic designer Scott Loebl and costume designer J.C. Krajicek?

When approaching the opera, as a design team we made the decision to make the physical production simple and elegant. The show has 11 different locations over the course of almost 20 years. To try to completely represent each location would have been an impossible task and would have ruined the flow of the piece. Since mining is a central theme throughout the opera, we decided that mining timbers would be the primary look for all of the scenery. The only time we stray from this is for Baby’s and Horace’s wedding in Washington, D.C. By changing the color palette for that scene we are helping identify the difference in location.

Moore’s score never lacks for gorgeous arias and ensembles. Among them, do you have any particular favorites?

I can’t really choose a favorite; all of the music is gorgeous and incredibly engaging.

What would you say to convince the “man on the street” to attend this production?

I commented to someone recently that I thought Baby Doe was one of the most beautiful operas that most people didn’t know. My hope is that potential opera goers will not dismiss this opera thinking that because it is 20th century opera, they won’t enjoy it. Baby Doe is a compelling American story with beautiful music. The characters are relatable and accessible and the story is heartbreaking.

Visit www.davidcarltoulson.com to learn more about Mr. Toulson and his career.

The Ballad of Baby Doe runs February 8th (8pm) and 10th (3pm) at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts on the campus of Chaminade College Preparatory School (425 S. Lindbergh Blvd; map). Tickets may be purchased by calling 314-865-0038 or online at http://winteroperastl.tix.com/ $10 Student Rush Tickets available at the door; valid Student ID required. For more information on this and future productions, visit WinterOperaSTL.org