Fieldwork

I would like to write about the Brown Opera Productions scenes concert, which will take place the weekend of October 30-November 2.  Four to six scenes will be presented, and I will select one of the groups with which I am not involved to study from an ethnomusicological perspective.  Each group will include a director, an accompanist/music director, and several singers.

My hope in studying this kind of group is to understand the relationship between the fields of theater and music.  How does a director who works primarily with non-singing actors interact with singers who find it hard to "come out of their shells"?  What kind of role does a music director/accompanist play?  Are boundaries crossed in working with opera that allow all the members of the scenes to gain a greater understanding of both theater and music?  Is there some kind of hierarchy between music and theater, and how do the opinions of this ranking differ within the group?  What is the rehearsal dynamic?  Is there a definite leader, or is it a collaborative effort?