An Interview with Carl Danielsen

What do you like about this character and about this play?

Souvenir deals the subject of the accompanist. The play doesn't go into much detail but that's what Cosme McMoon is: an operatic accompanist. I actually have worked considerably in this field and I don't know of another play that deals with it.

Accompanists are a rare breed. You either understand what accompanying is or you don't. It's way more than just playing the piano for someone to sing. It's a bit like being a ballroom dancer, especially the woman's part. (How could I know about this? Well, when I studied ballroom for several years, my teacher, an Arthur Murray instructor and amazing ballet dancer, forced everyone to learn both parts.) Following is just as hard as leading. You must give control to the other person but at the same time give energy back - you can't just be a limp rag-doll. It's a fascinating experience. I loved following in ballroom...probably because it was like accompanying.

The relationship between singer and accompanist is very intimate. It only really happens in classical music and some cabaret/theatre music. (Jazz is dictated more by the groove. There is improvisation within the groove, but it's in control, not one other specific player. Even when someone is soloing, the rhythm and the chord structure is more in charge than the soloing player.) For me, since I don't make my living as a musician, my piano skills are not that of a first class pianist, but I do have accompanist's skills whenever I am called upon to play. It's also very similar to how actors clue into each other and work together on stage. It's very difficult to work with someone who is not a team player.

When I read the script for Souvenir to audition for the original production on Broadway I'd been told this was going to be my big break. I was skeptical (I'd heard this before), but then I saw who the character was and the story he told. My "waiting tables" job in NYC in between acting jobs has been to coach singers. In Los Angeles, I ran a dinner theatre for opera singers called Verdi Ristorante di Musica. It isn't often when a role intersects a part of one's life so closely. I loved how the character protected and guided the singer. Fortunately, 99 percent of the performers I work with are very gifted, but there are those few for whom the road is going to be longer. It's a challenge.

You've performed the role several times before. How is this production different?

Souvenir wasn't my big break but I have loved performing it 3 times before this and was really looking forward to get to do it again. This is my fourth director and third Madame Flo. I've known Nancy Johnston for years so the chance to work with her again is truly a dream come true. I actually love doing great parts over and over (I've repeated a handful of roles and always love the opportunity to dig deeper.) This is the kind of material where you really can find new things. Our director, Sara Lampert Hoover is certainly interested in helping us find these depths. The process so far has been most stimulating and I'm sure it will continue so.

How do you keep the process fresh for yourself?

One of my constant goals as an actor is to try very hard to not say a line the same way twice. And not simply to drive directors and stage managers crazy... I feel like muscle memory for actors is death. The more you change it up the more honest and spontaneous it feels. Now, I'm sure most of my lines sound the same to most people as they go by, but it doesn't mean I'm not always looking for something new. One feels different every day. Even if the line we're being handed is the same, we see and hear it differently. Because of my affection for Nancy this whole production is going to be very different from what I've experienced in the past.

This is your first visit to Vermont. What are your impressions so far?

Vermont is beautiful and I'm finding the people to be very warm and friendly without any California phoniness to them. (I'm originally from California, so I can say that.) I'm most impressed by the healthy artistic atmosphere at VSC and most grateful to be working here.

January 13th, 2010