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HUDSON'S PROJECT IMAGINE PRESENTS:

Up For A Challenge

Jewish director stages "Peter Grimes"
as MOT's final event of the spring season.

to use and served as a professor of lit-
erature, acting and directing at
Wellesley College in Massachusetts
and Middlebury College in Vermont.
f it's possible for an opera stage
He even did a stint as a French
director to steal the show from
physician in a dozen episodes of the
the performers — at least in
former television soap opera Search for
advance . — then Bernard Uzan -
Tomorrow, in New York.
has the credentials to do it.
"Then a director of Faust asked me
A director of artistic renown,
to coach his singers in dialogue, and
Uzan, who is Jewish, is staging Peter
that got me started in opera," he
Grimes for Michigan Opera Theatre
recalled. In 1982, he staged his first
(MOT) at the Detroit Opera House,
operas with the Lake George (N.Y.)
starting Saturday, June 3, and continu-
Opera and the
ing for six perfor-
Opera Company of
mances through
Philadelphia. In
Sunday, June 11.
1984, he directed
The controver-
Carmen for the Tulsa
sial Peter Grimes,
Opera, returning a
the story of a mur-
year later for Faust,
derous fisherman,
and was appointed
is not exactly an
general director. He
operatic household
followed the same
name. Uzan admits
pattern for L'Opera
Grimes is a "big
de Montreal, direct-
challenge for a
ing Romeo et Juliette
director," but he
there in 1986,
has the experience,
creativity, expertise
returning the next
year for La
and roughness to
Cenerentola, then
do it. In his early
being named general
50s, Uzan has two
director.
doctorates from the Bernard Uzan: 'All minorities
undergo some form of discrimination."
"Unfortunately,
University of Paris,
antisemitism has
has been a dramatic
been prevalent throughout my life,"
actor, has directed operas all over
he said, "in the form of remarks, slurs
Europe and North America, and now
and various actions by people.
serves as general and artistic director
Antisemitism has prevented me from
of L'Opera de Montreal.
getting certain roles and jobs in•the
His accomplishments have come at
theater and opera, not to mention the
a price. He has had to fight off anti-
lack of invitations to social events.
semitism every step of the way in his
"But I don't think it's a case of peo-
career, he says.
ple being systematically against Jewish
Born in Tunisia when it was a
people only. All minorities undergo
French colony, Uzan's opera-loving
.
some form of discrimination, and we,
father owned a chain of olive oil facto-
as Jews, just suffer along with all of
ries. He had his bar mitzvah in Tunis,
them. All you can do is tough it out as
a city of 100,000 Jews at that time
I have over the years."
(now down to a few hundred), before
Past forms of antisemitism in
the family moved to Paris.
Montreal continue to have repercus-
He began his career in the the-
sions there today in Uzan's efforts at
ater as a dramatic actor and director,
L'Opera de Montreal. For many years,
earning acclaim and recognition in
Jews were prohibited from going to the
leading venues throughout Europe.
opera, so they attended, and gave their
Uzan then came to the United
financial support to, the symphony. The
States and established the French
opera now is slowly starting to pick up
Theater in America, touring for 10
recognition and financial help from the
years with 200 performances a year. At
the same time, he put his doctorates
CHALLENGE on page 77

Laugh a lot and cry

a little at these six

moments in time

that changed lives

BILL CARROLL

Special to the Jewish News

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Written By

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