I undertook to create a Don Giovanni production in a modern style, trying to devise
an approach that would flow continuously. I chose Rafal Olbinski as scenic designer
because of my admiration for his operatic posters which display his unique ability
to distill the essence of a scene into a powerful visual image. We set the opera
in the 1930's which allowed for interesting costumes and the use of a glamourous
car (a 1939 Bugatti) to serve as Giovanni's "seduction machine." Using
projections allowed for many changes of backgrounds without incurring interruptions
in the music and stage action. Minimal scenic elements and props were added in
the foreground to define space and allow for a realistic style of acting.
Robert Driver