SAS OPERA STUDIO
ROLE: Acting In Opera: Searching for clues
Free Workshop
August 2, 2025 11:00 - 2:00pm Piano Piano Studios 37 West 65th Street 4th Floor NYC
Does operatic acting mean standing in one place while singing? Could it also involve overacting because someone is singing in a foreign language? Does it suggest an acting technique that is somehow different from acting in the spoken theater?
The iconic Constantin Stanislavsky believed Opera singers should "combine the art of living a role with its musical form and the technique of singing."
The purpose of this workshop is to present the foundation of the singing actor's craft.
Learn to answer the Who, What, Where, When, and Why of your character, your understanding of the text, and how these answers propel your character's actions and reactions.
This three hour session is a specialized workshop discussing an approach to the musical and dramatic structure of arias and how you will be able begin to dissect your character and his/her relationship in the piece.
Stephen Scovasso is a musicologist, conductor, director and author. His more than 60 operatic productions have included Carmen, Tosca, La Bohème, Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi, Cosi fan Tutte as well as operettas such as The Merry Widow and Die Fledermaus.
In American Musical Theater productions have included Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods and Bernstein’s Candide. In the dramatic theater, Stephen has directed Garcia Lorca’s La Casa de Bernarda Alba, and Oscar Wilde’s Salome.
He founded the SAS Performing Arts Company and studios and, in the time of COVID-19,has become a leader in virtual theater presentations he has produced and directed with a total of 5 full length virtual streams including Dracula: The Radio Play, Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream as well as many virtual individual and holiday concerts. Many of these can be seen on the SAS Performing Arts Youtube channel.
During his years at Arizona State University, he taught classes on Opera, American Musical Theater, and created a course on Stephen Sondheim.
Mr. Scovasso has also published a treatise on Puccini's Il Trittico and the end of Italian Opera.
William R. Hicks
WILLIAM HICKS is a renowned voice coach, pianist, and conductor who has made significant contributions to the music industry. As a voice coach, Hicks has worked with some of the leading singers of all time, including Luciano Pavarotti, Licia Albanese, Franco Corelli, Anna Moffo, Roberta Peters, Renata Scotto, Teresa Stratas, Renee Fleming, Deborah Voigt, Regina Resnik, Marta Eggerth Kiepura, Thomas Hampson, and Harolyn Blackwell. He is known for his ability to help singers find their unique voice and develop it into a powerful instrument, and he has a wealth of experience working with singers from various genres, including classical, musical theater, and contemporary music. Hicks has also had a successful career as a pianist, accompanying countless singers and performing in numerous concerts and recitals. He is highly regarded for his musicality, technical proficiency, and ability to collaborate with singers in a supportive and creative manner. His expertise as a pianist has helped many singers bring their performances to life, and he is highly sought after as an accompanist for voice recitals and auditions. In addition to his musical and pedagogical activities, William is the founder and Chairperson of Action for Artists, a non-profit organization dedicated to mentoring and financially assisting performing artists at the beginning of their careers.