Spotlight on Curtis Knecht - Director of The Threepenny Opera

Tell us a bit about your background in theatre:

I came to theatre from the musical side of the stage. I began singing lessons when I was very young and my teacher happened to be the director of the local theatre troupe. She got me involved in community theatre and my love of the stage was born. Theatre and music eventually lead me to obtain my Master of Music degree in voice and pedagogy where I studied, directed and performed opera. My association with the Walterdale began when I returned to Edmonton after earning my degree; I was music director for the production of the Rocky Horror Show, and was onstage as Petruccio in the Taming of the Shrew. I am thrilled to again be involved at the Walterdale for this production of The Threepenny Opera.

What is your role on this production?

I am the director of The Threepenny Opera. That means I'm the one trying to tell everyone what to do. In reality, what I try to do is provide a world for the actors to play in. The Threepenny Opera is a dark and grimy place set in the poorest districts of a Victorian era London and it is my job to unleash the actors into this world of killers, criminals, prostitutes and corrupt policemen. I also have the overall vision of the entire production; from set designs to costumes to music, a director has their hand in all aspects of the production. As overwhelming as that many sound, I'll let you in on the secret of directing... surround yourself with incredibly talented people and allow them to play in the world with you and success is guaranteed.

What brought you to this production?

I had submitted my name to be a director in the 2010/11 season and was contacted my the Artistic Director and asked if I was interested in the Threepenny Opera. I jumped at the chance. Not only is Threepenny a marvelous work, but the chance to again work with Sally Hunt (who is music director) was too good to pass up.

What else can you tell us about this production?

The most enjoyable thing about this production has been the people. Musicals, by necessity, tend to attract the biggest casts and production crews and all of these people coming together to help bring my vision of the production to life has been amazing. Working together at every rehearsal, sharing ideas, planning, staging, and all the other parts of the show are so much easier with people who share the same enjoyment of theatre as you do. The most challenging aspect of the show has not actually been directly related to the production. In my life outside of the show, both of my parents have been diagnosed with and are fighting advanced stages of cancer. This has placed a large burden upon myself and my family and at times threatened my involvement in the production itself. Balancing the need to be available for family and the desire to fully commit to the show has been stressful. The production has been amazingly helpful in providing an outlet for some of my tensions and anxieties and I think, personally, has made the last few months easier.

The Threepenny Opera is loaded with social commentary regarding rampant capitalism, the oppression and exploitation of the poor and the corruption of authority, but at the end of the night I hope the audience leaves the theatre entertained. The message of the show is simple and obvious but our goal is to deliver that message in the most entertaining manner possible. We want our audience to laugh with us at the dark humour, squirm at those moments of vulgarity and be carried along by the engaging music and witty speeches provided to us by Weill and Brecht (the composer and author respectively).

I know those audience members coming to the Threepenny Opera expecting a pop-music version of "Mack the Knife" in the style of Bobby Darin or Ella Fitzgerald are in for a bit of a shock. Kurt Weill's music, while heavily influenced by early 20th century jazz, is also deeply immersed in the classical traditions of the period. Weill's orchestrations are thick and lushly dissonant and his playful use of traditional dances (waltz, tango) mixed with Bertolt Brecht's blunt, colourful and often vulgar text can be jarring to say the least. The world of the Threepenny Opera is not a nice place to live, but I think everyone will enjoy their visit.