Interview with Elkhanah Pulitzer
Conducted by Mara Littman
Elkhanah Pulitzer, the stage director of Boston Lyric Opera's 2002 production of La bohème, is not new to Boston Lyric Opera. She worked with BLO Artistic Director Leon Major on L'elisir d'amore in 1997, and came back to direct two productions, The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and The Magic Flute for BLO's education and community programs division, Opera New England. For Ms. Pulitzer directing La bohème marks a milestone in her career, her first mainstage production with a major U.S. opera company. Ms. Pulitzer is the great-great granddaughter of Joseph Pulitzer, who established the Pulitzer Prizes. As someone who has grown up in a family committed to achieving and awarding excellence, Ms. Pulitzer does not take her work lightly. In this interview, she spoke about how she became a stage director, what it means to her, and what she hopes to achieve.
When did you see your first opera?
When I was a kid, I saw several Gilbert and Sullivan operas in St. Louis. I remember being completely blown away by just how swashbuckling The Pirates of Penzance was, and The Mikado , which was so romantic and beautiful.
Why do you think you became a stage director?
Ever since I was a little kid, I have tried to attune my senses to take in as many of the details in the world around me as possible. Looking back, I was interested in theater and influenced by music. As a younger person, I acted in plays but I was always more of a director than an actor. I would pull myself out of the action, and look at the entire picture. I was more interested in setting up the situation and the story line than playing it out.
What's most rewarding about this career?
I never do the same thing twice. I am always learning on the job, and I'm always challenged. Each project brings new subjects for me to study.
What is it like to be young and a woman in this business?
I have to be a warrior. I have to be well armed, and ready to deal with any situation. I can't wallow in being young and afraid of whether I am going to be respected or heard. With each project, it gets easier. It's through the process of working on a production that I naturally come out as the director, and stop worrying about the background noise.
This production represents your debut with a major city opera company but it must feel like coming home since you have worked with Boston Lyric Opera before.
Boston Lyric Opera has nurtured my career from the beginning. Stephen Lord [Music Director] and Stephen Steiner [Director of Production and Artistic Administration] met me during a production at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and brought me out here to work with Leon Major [Artistic Director] on L'elisir d'amore . They took a leap of faith that I had something to offer. On every level, the Company has provided me with an enormous amount of support and attentiveness that enables my creative process to bloom.
Is it your first time directing La bohème?
Yes, it's the first time for me. However, many of the cast members have done La bohème several times before. Nonetheless, they are all interested in making it an original production. We are creating a world that is made up of our imaginations collectively and depends on our ability to bring life and detail to the piece.
Why do you think La bohème has been popular for so many years? What do you like best about the opera?
It's beautiful, emotional, and romantic. There is such a great balance between the camaraderie and playfulness among the men, who can be equated with The Four Musketeers; the budding, very delicate, gentle, finite relationship between Rodolfo and Mimì; and Marcello and Musetta's torrential, extreme relationship.
The men in the opera are all in their early twenties. They have just finished their education. They don't know what they want to do with their life yet. However, they do know that they want to be artistic. They are on the threshold; they are not men and not boys. Meanwhile, they lose Mimì who is so dear to them.
Mimì dies at the age of 22. In the 1800s, the average age of death was about 38. She was beyond the halfway point in her life. For them not knowing what they were going to do with their lives, and to have their lives half over is even more tragic. These characters' vulnerability makes us care about them.
You are a descendent of the legendary Pulitzers. With all these great minds, talents, and art around you, who and what has had the greatest influence on you? What is the most important lesson that you have learned from your family?
Growing up I was able to appreciate art in the intimate setting of my grandparents' home without the formality of a museum or a gallery where there are rules. They had paintings by Matisse, Monet, Picasso, and sculptures by Rodin. Being surrounded by fine art established in me a curiosity about artistic expression. It shaped my eye, and influences how I structure the images that I present on stage.
My grandfather was very reserved and a gentleman. He had impeccable taste. Although he was an imposing, strong character, he taught me about etiquette and codes of behavior through his own demeanor. From him, I have learned to approach situations with grace, poise, and consideration for others while maintaining strength in what I am doing.
I also grew up with strong, charismatic women. For me, they have been models of people who use their influence to help change their communities for the better. It has helped keep me on track in pursuing my own goals.
What do you hope to achieve by sharing your art with the world?
My hope is to arrest someone for a moment, and help that person see things in a fresh way. What we can offer is to take people out of the malaise of regular duties, and try to bring a spark. That's art's job, however fleeting it may be. I think of a stone thrown into water that sends out ripples. If I am able to impact a few people in the world, and they are able to turn around and do the same for others, then that's where the larger impact occurs.
Courtesy of Boston Lyric Opera
