The Voice - The Official Linda Eder Newsletter

Milo O'Shea and Gabe Barre

Readers of THE VOICE were first introduced to the amazing director, Gabriel Barre, in the Summer 2003 edition as he was preparing to take CAMILLE CLAUDEL to the stage of The Norma Terris Theatre. At that time, he shared with us his thoughts and ideas as he was about to embark on this wonderful journey. Those who were fortunate to attend one of the performances last summer know full well the talent that this man possesses and the magic he worked to bring Camille and her work to life. He left audience after audience in a state of awe and complete admiration. Many fans had the chance to attend the talk back sessions and to speak with Gabe after a performance. He was always so generous with his time and very eager to hear what people had to say so that he could continuously improve the show. What he managed to accomplish in the span of only a few weeks is a testament to his talent and dedication to his work.

Gabe has been very busy with many projects since the closing of CAMILLE CLAUDEL in September, but he found the time to answer a few questions about the run of the show in Chester last summer.

VOICE: You must be very pleased at the successful run of CAMILLE CLAUDEL last summer. Opening Night was quite eventful in light of the blackout. Please share your thoughts and feelings on Opening Night.

GABE: It was very exciting, especially considering the blackout. We did the first act without lights, sound or costumes. It went well and Linda and the rest of the cast did a great job. However, it didn't feel like I really got to see the show and what we really had until the next night.

Gabe Barre

VOICE: The audience was so appreciative of what all of you went through to perform the show that night under very difficult circumstances. Once opening night was over, what was a typical day like for you during the run of CAMILLE CLAUDEL?

GABE: Get up early. Compile notes from last night's performance and note sessions afterwards. Prepare for rehearsal. Rehearse from 12:00 to 5:00, refining and putting in changes. Dinner, often conferring with industry guests about to see the show that night. Attend the performance and take notes. Go out with the authors, producers and often Linda, to discuss the evening's performance and continue discussions on what to change and when. Then start all over again.

VOICE: That sounds very exhausting. Although you were working almost non-stop during the run, it was nice that your wife was able to be there with you as one of the cast members of CAMILLE CLAUDEL. What was it like as a director working with your wife, Tricia Paoluccio?

Gabe Barre and Tricia Paoluccio

GABE: It was wonderful! We have been lucky enough to work together in that capacity a few times and really love it. It also is one less time that we are separated than we might have been. My wife is a gifted actress, singer and dancer and is exceedingly creative, so purely as a director it is always a pleasure to have her in a company. In general, we keep our relationship focused on the work in rehearsal and if an outsider came into the room at any given time, they would have no idea that we were married. It was also nice that Tricia and Linda developed a nice friendship, since Frank and I often had to work together after hours.

VOICE: What did you find most challenging during the rehearsals and the run?

GABE: The lack of quality time to explore the material more with the actors. With only three weeks of rehearsals and with rewrites every day, you barely have time to get the basic shape of things.

VOICE: The audience members seemed to have definite opinions as to what they liked or wanted to see changed about the show. Did audience reaction play an important role in any of the changes you made during the run?

GABE: Yes, most definitely. As I mentioned, we talked about their reaction after every performance and had a couple of “talk backs” with the audience directly.

VOICE: How did it make you feel to realize the emotional impact the show had on the audience?

GABE: Wonderful! Very gratifying but it's important not to be too misled by that. There can be flaws in the material and still get that reaction. We let ourselves feel good for a couple of seconds and then go back to digging in on making it even better.

VOICE: Your staging of “Gold” was pure genius. What led you to the decision to include the entire cast in the final scene rather than have Linda alone on stage during this song?

GABE: It has always been our fear (Linda's especially) that the show would be regarded as a glorified

opportunity to see and hear Linda in concert. Obviously, a glorious experience as you all know… but not what we were doing. We were telling a story. Linda was playing and embodying Camille Claudel. A real person. We needed to (and still may need to more) keep that last moment part of the play, the story, the resolution.

VOICE: We wish you the best of luck as this musical moves forward in its journey. What other projects are you currently developing while continuing to work on CAMILLE CLAUDEL?

GABE: I am currently working on the second production of another new musical called MEMPHIS, which we hope to bring to New York eventually. I am also continuing to develop a new musical with Kander and Ebb and Joe Stein based on Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth as well as a number of other projects.

VOICE: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, and good luck with all of your projects.

GABE: Thank you all for all of your support.