Classical Singer prints letters such as the two below as a service to singers and companies, in the spirit of giving both parties a chance to explain their side. CS has no position on this issue.
Dear Editor:
I am writing to inform you of an unfortunate incident regarding my contract and performance with a New England-based opera company nearly a year ago. Maine Grand Opera is located in Camden, Maine, and the artistic director and founder is Karen Eisenhauer.
I was cast and hired to sing the role of Rose Maurrant in MGO’s 2005 production of [Kurt Weill’s] Street Scene, and the show went up over Thanksgiving weekend. Ms. Eisenhauer hired a cast from all over the country; singers came to Maine from Kansas, Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, etc.
The production was fraught with problems from the beginning. Some roles were not cast until just two days before the opening, and there were housing conflicts for the cast, as well as a general lack of organization. Rehearsal time was disorganized and entirely insufficient. In spite of these issues, however, the cast and crew rose to the occasion and put together a reasonably successful run.
On closing night Ms. Eisenhauer gave me a check. I traveled home and deposited the check roughly a week after the production ended. Subsequently, I received notification from my bank that the check was returned due to insufficient funds. I contacted Ms. Eisenhauer immediately, and was told, “I guess whoever got to the bank first got paid.”
After some correspondence with my colleagues in the production, I discovered none of the crewmembers had been paid, despite the fact that some of them performed double duty backstage and were also cast in the production at the last minute. In the end, only a handful of the checks given to the cast and orchestra ever cleared the bank. We were astonished to discover that checks had been given directly only to those performers who had written contracts, mainly the principals. Many individuals in supporting roles were not issued written contracts and were subsequently never even issued checks.
Since January, I have received exactly one e-mail message from Ms. Eisenhauer, in which she promised payment. Nearly one year after Street Scene no remuneration has been forthcoming.
I sincerely regret the need to write this letter. Indeed, despite its breaches of contract, MGO has been a tremendous artistic resource for its local Maine community in that it brought opera to underserved areas of the state. However, for the company to disrespect and defraud the very people who make the performances possible is simply unconscionable. My purpose in writing is to warn any singer who may consider auditioning with or sending their materials to MGO to be aware of the company’s history of not paying the cast, crew, and orchestra.
In my investigation of the problem, I have learned that Ms. Eisenhauer has delayed or completely ignored her obligations to pay performers in past productions as well. A local reporter’s investigation (published in May 2006 on www.villagesoup.com) revealed that Ms. Eisenhauer and the MGO already have a nearly $10,000 legal judgment against them with a local bank for defaulting on a business loan at the time of the Street Scene production.
I recently heard that Ms. Eisenhauer is beginning to fundraise for a new production—a truly unbelievable action considering the fact she still owes tens of thousands of dollars to the performers and crewmembers from Street Scene. Certainly, artists should exercise extreme caution in any interaction with this organization.
—Susan Brownfield
Dear Editor:
In reply to the letter from Ms. Susan Brownfield, I would like to say she is absolutely correct. During the production of Weill’s Street Scene, Maine Grand Opera did incur a shortfall and a few performers went unpaid—and MGO has been working to resolve this issue. The remainder of the letter is riddled with misstatements and assertions that should not go unanswered.
Ms. Brownfield, the understudy, was supplied an apartment, at no cost to her, during the entire rehearsal period and production run. This was to accommodate her need to bring family along. She was also given time off during the Thanksgiving holiday to return home. Our policy has been to supply housing for out-of-town cast members and this was also the case for Street Scene. Singers stay in hotels or B&B’s in the Camden area—free. Doing so in a place like Camden is a real task, especially with a cast as large as [that of] Street Scene. (The population of Camden, Maine is only 3,500!)
One of my many jobs is to raise money for the production. That task is never ending and every executive director of any opera company, regardless of its size, will agree. They will also tell you they are not the only ones involved and that the responsibility goes beyond to include board members. Perhaps Ms. Brownfield is not aware of the infrastructure of nonprofits.
My task to raise the remaining monies for Street Scene was abruptly halted when I learned three weeks before the first rehearsal that the stage director had had a heart attack and would not be able to fulfill his contract. On such a short notice, I had to step in and direct the show.
This was my debut as stage director for an opera—a show of epic proportions. Everyone worked hard and what was accomplished was nothing short of a miracle. Small walk-on roles are always cast from the local towns and if one person can’t do it, then someone else does. But that is not unusual, and it is not [something] a principal cast member should be concerning herself with.
Fraud means there is a beneficiary. Ms. Brownfield’s accusations are not only wrong, but quite possibly actionable. There was no monetary gain in this production. Immediately after the show, MGO went back to the job of raising money, and with the exception of my fee and local purveyors, the money for Ms. Brownfield and the few remaining performers was in the bank 90 days later. Unfortunately, a loan came due and a newly appointed loan officer brought about a change of rules, and we have been in litigation ever since.
In an area where there was a dearth of opera, we have been able to provide exceptional productions. We have received great reviews for all of our productions and an invitation to come to Bermuda after a great production of Die Fledermaus. We have done tremendous things in the short five years we have been in existence. This small company is the perfect proving ground for singers looking to work in an area that is nurturing and supportive. We know we have much work to do, and first and foremost is to pay anyone we still owe.
We have no future productions planned—another misguided statement by Ms. Brownfield.
Finally, money makes people passionate. I understand Ms. Brownfield’s frustration—but to be malicious and disingenuous with the intent to destroy the very thing that allows her art to survive is a sad thing for her and any other singer who is struggling to have their voice heard.
—Karen Eisenhauer
