Spotlight on: OperaDelaware

Photo Description: Singers Jarrod Lee, Toni Marie Palmertree, Andrew Bidlack and Hannah Ludwig performing at an open-air Pop-Up Opera event.

As part of The Presser Foundation’s drive to be more transparent and to amplify the work of its partners, it has begun to use information from grant reports to highlight its grantees. 

Each post will spotlight one partner, who have final say over the contents and structure of the post. In this way, the Foundation hopes to not only use information from grant reports (which often go unread and unused), but also to shine the light on many wonderful music organizations. 

This first post focuses on OperaDelaware, a professional nonprofit opera company based in Wilmington, Delaware, and the 11th oldest company in the country. They have been a long-time recipient of funds from The Presser Foundation and are a new multi-year grantee in the Advancement of Music (general operating support) grantmaking area. 

The story below highlights their work from the 2021-22 year, particularly illustrating the innovations that the organization tried and how lessons from those efforts will be incorporated into their future work. 

Productions

OperaDelaware made a triumphant return to live, in-person performances in the 2021-22 season with Donizetti’s Don Pasquale.  The opera took place in OperaDelaware’s studio, rather than The Grand Opera House, with reduced orchestration. Produced in a hybrid format, the show invited patrons to attend in-person and was also live streamed for those who were not yet comfortable returning to the theater. A successful performance, it illustrated the potential for smaller versions of performances in OperaDelaware’s own facility.

In February 2022, OperaDelaware returned to The Grand for The Barber of Seville, a co-production with Opera Baltimore and Papermoon Opera Productions.

As OperaDelaware returned to full-scale productions at The Grand Opera House, the innovative ideas and collaborative partnerships that developed during the pandemic taught valuable lessons that continue to impact the organization:

1. By co-producing with Opera Baltimore, OperaDelaware experienced benefits a) financially, b) from an artistic standpoint, and c) from receiving critical reviews by external media. For example, as a result of the partnership with Papermoon, all of The Barber of Seville sets and costumes were made predominantly out of paper, resulting in a substantial decrease in production costs. Positive press from the preceding performances in Baltimore helped create excitement ahead of the production’s arrival in Wilmington. As a result of the successful collaboration, OperaDelaware and Opera Baltimore are planning a co-production of La Traviata in the spring of 2023.
2. Production photos taken in Baltimore ahead of OperaDelaware’s performances gave patrons a preview of the upcoming show, thus building excitement for not only this specific show, but a return to full, in-person opera.
3. OperaDelaware learned about the importance of finding ways to connect with individuals who had never experienced opera before.
   1. Thanks to a redirected grant from another foundation, they were able to offer hundreds of free tickets to frontline healthcare workers and educators. Forty percent of the patrons at The Grand for The Barber of Seville were first-time opera attendees.
4. During this production, OperaDelaware also offered a safe place for artists to gather and unwind, with positive feedback from participating artists. The organization discovered the spectacular art that could be created when artists feel seen and taken care of.
   1. OperaDelaware better understands how it can do better regarding its employment relationship with artists, how artists are paid, how their time in the city can be better spent as ambassadors in the community, and how they can be better cared for. And caring for workers pays off, as employees (including contracted artists) are more likely to stay at the company, more likely to feel included, and more likely to suggest the company as an exceptional place to work.

To close its mainstage season, OperaDelaware produced a rousing rendition of The Marriage of Figaro. By building and retaining the sets for this production, OperaDelaware now has the ability to reuse the sets for future productions or rent it to other companies to earn additional revenue.

Pop-Up Opera

Throughout the season, OperaDelaware also offered and elevated Pop-Up Opera, and has now produced 150 performances since the pandemic began. Pop-Up Opera presents opera in an outdoor space, where OperaDelaware artists customize a performance to fit the needs and wishes of the people they seek to reach. The program introduces opera in a casual setting and accessible way to people unfamiliar with it, while also reintroducing it to others who may be unable to attend performances indoors.

PopUp Opera has reached thousands of people since its creation during COVID-19, and has taken place in all three counties in Delaware and in some places in southeastern Pennsylvania. Often, the program brings opera to people in community and to organizations that OperaDelaware believes play a critical role in bettering the community, including the hospitals, community centers, and other nonprofits such as the Wilmington Hope Commission.

Through PopUp Opera, OperaDelaware is changing what its audience looks like, emphasizing the idea that opera is for everyone.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

In addition to innovating with its mainstage productions and other programmatic efforts, OperaDelaware is re-envisioning how it can incorporate diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (IDEA) into its work, taking steps to include diverse voices in the creation and production of opera.

1. This year, the organization partnered with a consultant from The Fusion Alliance through United Way of Delaware to offer training sessions for staff and board on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (partly funded by a Special Projects Grant from The Presser Foundation). The first session with staff focused on breaking down barriers and connecting with each other to appreciate the diversity of experiences.
2. The staff and Board are focused on what they can do in Delaware to integrate IDEA principles into their efforts. That includes increasing access to opera for community members through PopUp Opera and other community engagement opportunities. Offering free tickets to healthcare workers and educators is another way that the organization seeks to increase awareness of and exposure to opera.
3. As the opera industry searches for new and diverse perspectives on and off stage, OperaDelaware is exploring the creation of a training program for emerging set and lighting designers and stage managers.
4. Externally, the organization is connecting with others to discuss potential partnerships and actively participating in the Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative.

Overall

As a microcosm, the 2021-22 season demonstrates the ways that OperaDelaware is adapting and innovating while also integrating IDEA in their practices and processes. While COVID has hit arts organizations particularly hard, OperaDelaware has tested new, creative ideas with success while also continuing to serve its stakeholders and its community.