New Principal Photo-Op Policy Gets Trial Run

We all have been there. The Star comes out of her dressing room out of the goodness of her heart, fully realizing that she has a limited time to change costumes, get into character, or take that aria through a last run-through. She is greeted by a rowdy crew of Supers, frantically exchanging cameras and jumping wildly into and out of positions in a Marx Brothers-inspired chaos. Her time is wasted, and we get redundant photos, often with the star with an impatient or barely tolerant grin on her face. Not so good.

Hence the suggestion was made that each production has one, and only one, Designated Photographer (DP) for principal photo-ops. One camera, period. That is to say, please leave your personal camera in the dressing room or in your locker for these photo ops! The DP will make the pictures available for order in digital or print form.

(Supers are, of course, still welcome to bring their own cameras to take pictures of each other, as always, obeying the rules set out in the Super Handbook, pages 9 and 10.)

This is as good a place as any to remind you that Supers, whether in a show or not, should never approach a principal or his/her dresser for individual shots. This has in recent years caused much distress with the principals, the Company, and the Wardrobe department.

The Super Committee has adopted this one-camera policy on a trial basis. Only one production this summer, Der Rosenkavalier, involves Supers, so a DP has been appointed for the show. If the experiment is successful, they will adopt it for all productions.

Part of the Committee's resolution follows:

In order to insure that:

• all Supers in a production have the opportunity to have quality pictures taken with principals
• historic records are kept
• we respect the time and consideration of the principal artist and others members of the opera company

                the Opera Company and Super Committee will designate one photographer.

This process will become effective summer 2007 with Mike Harvey as the DP. A form will be used to help assist the PSC, artists' dressers and Mike in establishing the agreed-upon time, date and place for the photo shoot. This information will also be posted on the Super sign-in board by the PSC.