I thought it might be pertinent to write a few more things about being gracious. There are so many layers to being an artist, and many of them have to do with your personality and how you bring that across to your public and your colleagues. The most important two words you can learn as an artist are \u201cTHANK YOU.\u201d If someone compliments your performance, you do not show what a high standard you have by cutting down things you\u2019ve done, saying, \u201cwell, it wasn\u2019t my best,\u201d \u201cwell, thanks but I really sucked today,\u201d \u201cwell, I actually hated this production,\u201d etc. etc.. You just smile and say, \u201cThank you.\u201d You are insulting someone else\u2019s taste, if they liked it, when you tear down what they just complimented. They are making an effort to show their gratitude for what you gave them, so resist the urge to apologize for your performance or undermine their impression of it.<\/p>\n
When you are performing at an opera house, it is customary to give gifts. At opening night, you should at least write a little card to your colleagues (singers, conductor and director and anyone else who was extremely helpful). Wish them \u201cToi! Toi! Toi!\u201d (the sound of spitting behind someone shoulder \u2013 an old opera tradition more in Germanic countries), \u201cMerde!\u201d (shit in French, but really with the intention of wishing them bad luck to give them good luck), or \u201cIn bocca al lupo\u201d (the same idea in Italian, meaning \u201cin the mouth of the wolf\u201d \u2013 to which you reply verbally \u201ccrepi il lupo\u201d \u2013 \u201cmay the wolf DIE!\u201d) Or just a good old American \u201cBreak a leg!\u201d It\u2019s nice to include a personalised part about your time rehearsing the show, etc\u2026 and how you\u2019ve enjoyed working with them, if you have, etc. And a little chocolate or a small gift is always really nice. Think edible or perishable, or usable. Don\u2019t give knick-knacks or breakable things, as your colleagues will have nowhere to put them in their suitcases. For example, for Ariodante and for Giulio Cesare, I had t-shirts made up with our cast\u2019s faces and costumes on them. Everyone now has a personalised t-shirt, that cost me under $10 a person to have made. You can write off gifts \u2013 they are legitimate business expenses. Make sure your gifts cost less than $25 a person, as otherwise they are not deductible (as far as I know.) Remember to include your director and any other pertinent people that you have gotten to know and who have helped you, as most of the production team \u2013 director, scenographer, costume designer, lighting designer \u2013 will not be there after opening night (except the assistant director, who usually stays for the shows.)<\/p>\n
When the show is finished, there is more gift-giving to be done. You need to give your wig and makeup people, plus your dresser a tip. Depending on how much they had to help you in the show, I would think about how much you would value their help per show. (and depending on what kind of fee you\u2019re getting.) If they had to run around carrying your train the whole night, with a ton of quick changes and stuff, be more generous. I try and count at least $10 per show in tip to my dressers in the U.S. In Europe, I pay less, as they are usually on staff and are well paid. Put the money in cash in an envelope with a note of gratitude, or give your dresser or wig and makeup person a gift at your last show. If you\u2019re giving money, make sure it\u2019s cash. Even if you can not afford to leave a tip, a thoughtful little present and note to your dresser and wig\/makeup person is always appreciated at the end of the last show.<\/p>\n
Also, if I have gotten tons of flowers at a show, and my house is going to look like a mausoleum, I make the dresser and makeup\/wig person take a bouquet home. That does not get me out of giving them a tip or gift. However, it\u2019s just being nice\u2026 Be good to the people around you \u2013 they are just as important in making the show happen as you are. Remember, dressers and wig\/makeup people talk to everyone \u2013 even the artists that come in after you. You want to develop a reputation as being a person everyone wants to work with, and it starts with everyone back stage. Not only do you want to develop a reputation as a gracious person, you want to BE a gracious person, don\u2019t you?? Sometimes the Stage manager and assistant stage managers (those are the people in the wings, telling you when to go onstage) are very helpful \u2013 why not give them a note and a chocolate at opening, too? It only takes time and minimal money, but people are always touched that you remember to ackowledge them.<\/p>\n
Wenn es Administratoren oder K\u00fcnstlervermittler gibt, die Ihnen w\u00e4hrend Ihres Aufenthalts sehr geholfen haben, schicken Sie ihnen zumindest am Ende Ihres Aufenthalts eine kleine Nachricht, in der Sie ihnen Ihre Wertsch\u00e4tzung mitteilen.<\/p>\n
Wenn Sie in den USA singen und es Wohlt\u00e4ter gibt, die Ihre Show gesponsert haben, macht es wirklich einen gro\u00dfen Unterschied und wir w\u00fcrden uns sehr freuen, wenn Sie den Sponsoren Ihrer Show einen Dankesbrief schreiben k\u00f6nnten. Finden Sie heraus, wer die Sponsoren sind. Schreiben Sie einen kleinen Dankesbrief. Menschen mit viel Geld, die viel Geld in die Oper stecken, erm\u00f6glichen es uns, unsere Kunst einem breiten Publikum zug\u00e4nglich zu machen. Sie m\u00fcssen anerkannt werden und wissen, dass sie gesch\u00e4tzt werden. Die Operngesellschaft wird Ihre Bem\u00fchungen, ihre G\u00e4ste zu verh\u00e4tscheln, zu sch\u00e4tzen wissen. Und ihre G\u00e4ste sind ber\u00fchrt, dass sie so pers\u00f6nliche Aufmerksamkeit erhalten.<\/p>\n
All dies braucht Zeit, aber es wird Bindungen zu den Menschen kn\u00fcpfen und ihnen zeigen, dass sie gesch\u00e4tzt werden. Es braucht nichts \u00dcberschw\u00e4ngliches oder Teures, nur ehrliche Dankbarkeit und die Tatsache, dass Sie sich die Zeit genommen haben, Danke zu sagen, reichen aus.<\/p>\n
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When you start to perform in Europe, you need to get some small envelope-sized pictures made of your head shot. When you perform in Europe and Japan, you should bring some autographed pictures of yourself to the shows. Otherwise, (especially in Germany), you will get pre-addressed envelopes from people waiting at the backstage door, or worse yet, cards from people that want you to send them an autographed picture. Always ask their name and how it\u2019s spelled, and ask if they want you to dedicate it to them. \u201cBest wishes\u201d and \u201cthank you\u201d in every language are good phrases to know how to spell, I might add. I\u2019m not going to share what I dedicate on my pictures, as that\u2019s my state secret! Don\u2019t write all over your face, and if your name\u2019s not written under the picture, I\u2019d print the role, place and date of the show (because you don\u2019t want to have to print out your name as well as sign it, but you want them to remember who the heck you were!) This is a great way for people to connect with you, and I know there are people that just collect signatures of artists. I think they trade them like baseball cards. Remember to come up with some kind of flamboyant variation of your signature (QUICK!) for your fans, as you don\u2019t want to use your same signature that you actually use on bank accounts, checks, official documents. (Just a thought\u2026)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ich dachte, es w\u00e4re vielleicht angebracht, noch ein paar Dinge dar\u00fcber zu schreiben, wie man gn\u00e4dig ist. Es gibt so viele Ebenen, ein K\u00fcnstler zu sein, und viele davon haben mit Ihrer Pers\u00f6nlichkeit und der Art und Weise zu tun, wie Sie diese r\u00fcberbringen \u2026<\/p>\n