By Andrew Hamlin
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Seattle director Desdemona Chiang’s credits include many stage plays, stage musicals, and she’d helmed one opera before heading into “Bound,” at Seattle Opera.
But, she admits, working on “Bound,” which opens June 9, demanded an expansion of her skill set.
“This might sound obvious, but there’s a lot of music in opera!” she elaborated. “In general, when I stage a piece, I tend to use a lot of movement. Much of what I learned doing [opera] had to do with learning to trust that the music would handle a lot of the dramatic work for me. The trick is not over-staging, because in many instances, the audience came for the music and not for the action.”
Chiang, a native of Taiwan, came to America at age 3, settling first in Orange County, California, where her parents went to finish school.
“My strongest memory is of McDonald’s. My dad was so excited to take me there. When they gave me food in a cardboard box with a toy car inside, I remember thinking it was such a magical place, where they served delicious new foods I had never tried before and gave you a toy with your meal.”
After starting college as a biology major, she switched to directing theater after a friend turned her on to the “Rent” musical. At her MFA program at the University of Washington, she lucked onto two outstanding professors.
“The first is Jon Jory, who founded the Humana Festival and ran the Actors Theatre of Louisville for many years. One thing he taught me is that ideas are cheap. Don’t get precious about what you’re making—you’ll have to go through a lot of bad ideas to find one good one, so don’t get hung up on making every idea perfect.
“The second is Valerie Curtis Newton. She taught me to locate the fear in the room. If you can find where the fear is, you can solve any directorial problem. All the conflicts that arise in rehearsal are rooted in some kind of fear, whether it’s fear of not being good enough, fear of looking silly, or fear of not being trusted. As a director, you have to address those fears directly to make any progress.”
Chiang directed one previous opera, “Fearless,” written by Derrick Wang. She came on board for “Bound” after Seattle Opera reached out to her. She read the libretto, written by Vietnamese American Bao-Long Chu, and felt excited that an immigrant story could become an opera.
The composer, Chinese American Huang Ruo, conducts the music for this production.
“Working with him has been a joy,” said Chiang. “He has given me the freedom to have fun with the piece and find my own voice. In fact, I think he was delighted by the fact that I tend to be a busy stager. He found it exciting to see the action of what he wrote come to life.
“Overall, it’s been helpful to have the composer in the room, because he can validate my decisions and answer my questions about his intentions.”
Ruo’s inspiration for “Bound” goes back to an actual incident, which occurred in 2012, in Houston, Texas. The opera shows a young girl, Diane Tran, a descendant of Vietnamese refugees. She runs afoul of the law and spends a night behind bars, as her internal demons emerge to haunt her.
“This is a fun cast, especially for a show that feels dark and daunting,” Chiang explained. They’ve been up for anything, which has been wonderful, since we have a short rehearsal schedule for this show. It has helped us build a level of trust that usually takes weeks to achieve.
“All three performers—Karen Vuong [as Diane Tran], Nina Yoshida Nelsen, and Daniel Klein—are great. Karen and Nina have performed at Seattle Opera before, while this is Daniel’s company debut. Karen is very playful and up for anything, which she told me at the very first rehearsal. So is Daniel. Nina is a little more reserved, which is appropriate for her character. All three get along well and the room has been quite spirited.”
Asked about future plans, Chiang mentioned the play “Sanctuary City,” coming to Seattle Rep in early 2024.
“But this summer, I am directing a short film in L.A. as part of the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women program. I’m excited to have this opportunity to grow as a director.
“I would also love the chance to work on more operas. Working on this piece has provided such a great challenge and I’m interested in continuing to explore the productive tension between music and drama that is part of the art form.”
“Bound” runs June 9-18, Tagney Jones Hall at the Opera Center, 363 Mercer Street at Seattle Center.
For prices, showtimes, and other information, visit https://www.seattleopera.org/bound.