According to Latvian singer and newly minted director Sonora Vaice, staging Terence McNally’s play Master Class (Meistarklase) required researching the entire life of legendary diva Maria Callas. The production is slated for the VIII International Operetta Festival on Friday, August 14, at the Ikšķile People’s House, with tickets available via Biļešu paradīze for 35 euros.
From Operetta Stage to Directorial Debut
Vaice serves as both the director and the lead actress of Master Class, marking her third directorial venture following the multimedia mono-opera The Telephone. The Human Voice (Telefons. Cilvēka balss)—which earned a Great Music Award in 2021—and the mono-opera Valentīna (2023). The production originated as her master’s thesis in directing at the Latvian Academy of Culture (LKA) and premiered on May 25 at the LKA Theatre House Zirgu pasts.
Reflecting on her return to academia, Vaice noted that she enrolled at LKA at age 55, following a previous master’s degree in vocal art completed at the Jāzepa Vītola Latvijas Mūzikas akadēmija at age 43. Her initial year of studies coincided with two of her three children: her son Adams Vilhelms Vaicis, an LKA film directing graduate currently studying jazz in The Hague, and her daughter Anna Emanuela Vaice, a fourth-year acting student.
Bridging Opera and Dramatic Theatre
According to Vaice, transitioning to dramatic theatre directing involved unlearning foundational habits. While opera singers are strictly bound by a composer’s score, tempo, and vocal technique, dramatic actors possess broader freedom regarding rhythm, intonation, and pauses, under the guidance of a director. Vaice studied under Kārlis Krūmiņš in the Audiovisual and Stage Art master’s program, with director Māra Ķimele serving as her diploma thesis advisor.
In McNally’s original text, Maria Callas is played by an actress alongside two singing students. Vaice inverted this dynamic in her staging: she performs as Callas while integrating brief vocal moments, while actresses Tatjana Gurēviča and Anna Emanuela Vaice portray the student characters, Sophia de Palma and Sharon Graham respectively. Pianist Māris Žagars and bassist Adams Vilhelms Vaicis (via recording) complete the artistic ensemble.
Upcoming Operetta Projects and Eco-Fashion
Looking ahead, the Operetes teātris is already preparing its next production: Parīzes bohēma, described as Latvia’s first eco-fashion operetta, scheduled to premiere on October 1 at the Culture Palace Ziemeļblāzma. Based on Imre Kálmán’s operetta The Violet of Montmartre (Monmartras vijolīte), the staging reimagines the classic work through an insect metaphor, drawing visual inspiration from nature where characters represent creatures like spiders, praying mantises, ants, and aphids observing the Eiffel Tower from a garden.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the Master Class performance taking place?
The performance takes place on Friday, August 14, at 19:00 at the Ikšķile People’s House.
Who stars in Sonora Vaice’s production of Master Class?
Sonora Vaice directs and stars as Maria Callas. The cast also features Mikhail Chekhov Theatre actress Tatjana Gurēviča and Anna Emanuela Vaice, accompanied by pianist Māris Žagars.
Where can tickets for the festival performance be purchased?
Tickets are available through the Biļešu paradīze ticketing network for 35 euros.
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