Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Snyder.
Justin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I first heard about the puppet opera when I was in high school. At that time, the creator of Opera in Focus, Bill Fosser was looking to train apprentice puppeteers. So I contacted Bill and he invited me to attend a performance. I was immediately blown away by the puppet opera. I had never seen such lifelike puppets or such intricate miniature scenery before. After that performance, I sat down with Bill and discussed the particularities of training to be a puppeteer with him. Luckily he saw potential in me and offered to take me on as his apprentice. Nearly 18 years have elapsed since then and I am still as enamored of the puppet opera as I was back then as a teenager. It is the love of my life.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not always been a smooth road. In 2006, Bill Fosser passed away and left the theatre to my brother, Shayne, and I. It was hard to even fathom continuing without Bill, but his ultimate wish was for Opera in Focus to forge on so that future generations could be exposed to the beautiful craft he developed, so we persevered. As the owners of the puppet opera, we have faced innumerable obstacles. In 2011, the theatre flooded and we were forced to rebuild it from scratch. But the biggest obstacle we have faced, by far, is just getting people to know that the puppet opera even exists. We do not receive any sort of outside funding nor do we have an advertising budget, so it is a daily struggle–getting the word out about the puppet opera without any financial resources. 2018 will be the puppet opera’s 25th year in Rolling Meadows and the 60th anniversary of the first Opera in Focus performances in Chicago, and the theatre has survived all these decades pretty much exclusively from word-of-mouth. Luckily, we have a very loyal and devout fan base that helps us spread the word. Our patrons are like family to us.
Opera in Focus – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Opera in Focus is one of the most technically sophisticated puppet theatres in the world. We perform operas, operettas, and musicals with some of the world’s most lifelike puppets (the unique invention of legendary puppeteer and motion picture set designer William B. Fosser). The lineage of our craft in Chicago actually dates back to the 1930s when a young Chicagoan named Ernest Wolff created the original puppets that eventually performed at the Kungsholm restaurant at Rush and Ontario, which was a Chicago institution for more than 30 years. Bill Fosser began working at the Kungsholm Miniature Grand Opera in 1943 and continued to work there off and on in between his busy career designing movie sets for the next several decades. It was during his years at Kungsholm that he designed and patented his own unique puppets which are far more sophisticated than the Kungsholm puppets and capable of much more lifelike movements. When the Kungsholm Miniature Grand Opera closed in 1971, Bill Fosser single-handedly kept this art form alive.
What sets us apart from the rest is the fact that nobody else does what we do. We are the only people in the world who make and use the specific type of puppets utilized in our productions, so there is literally nowhere else in the world that one can experience this particular art form. It is unique to Chicago and unique to our theatre.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Definitely working with Bill Fosser and becoming so close to him was one of the highlights of my life. He was more than just a puppet teacher and mentor to me–he was the best friend I ever had. I learned so much from him about puppetry, and stagecraft, and opera, and life, in general. He changed the course of my entire life and inspired me to always strive for excellence in my life and work. I am forever indebted to him for his inspiration and friendship.
Pricing:
- Adult Admission: $14
- Senior Admission: $12
- Children Admission: $8
Contact Info:
- Address: 3000 Central Road
Rolling Meadows, Illinois
60008 - Website: http://www.operainfocus.com
- Phone: 847-818-3220
- Email: puppetinfo@operainfocus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/operainfocus/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/operainfocus
- Other: http://www.patreon.com/operainfocus
Image Credit:
Photos courtesy of Opera in Focus
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