By PHK
I saw Jules Massenet’s “Cendrillon” aka "Cinderella” at the Santa Fe Opera Friday night. I think, however, I'll leave the review of the performance to others.
What struck me the most, however, was the central role of the fairy godmother in Massenet’s version - the supreme onstage stage manager who - as Cinderella’s advocate - made the story turn out the happy way it did. One could argue, I guess, that Cinderella’s fairy godmother assumed the role of Yentl, the matchmaker, but no matchmaker I’ve ever heard of went to the extraordinary lengths to orchestrate or micromanage the proceedings the way this fairy godmother did. But then, what real life matchmaker can command fairies and wood sprites to do her bidding – effortlessly or otherwise? 
Then I thought about the importance of the stage manager to productions whether on stage or not. Like the stage manager in Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” which I first saw in Moscow performed by a group of American and British amateur actors at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence. The stage manager in that production was NBC’s Moscow correspondent Gene Pell: he was excellent. This was years before the Soviet Union crashed. Then anything interesting took place behind closed doors or high walls.
But back to the centrality of stage managers: in many theatrical productions, the stage manager or puppeteer remains offstage and out of sight. The string-pulling power behind the throne, one might say, remains invisible.
And the theatrics in the White House?
George W. Bush’s VEEP, or stage manager Dick Cheney may be the secretive center of this secretive administration, a man who prefers to orchestrate the activities of this imperial presidency well under the radar screen while ever petulant prince-non-charmante W hides out on extended vacations in Crawford or cycles away in the White House exercise room supposedly reading Camus’s easiest.
Isn’t it patently clear now that the real power behind this spoiled brat’s throne is lodged in the Vice President’s office? After all, who decided to support Israel right or wrong? Or who impressed upon the witless W the need to invade Iraq for whatever purpose conveniently dredged up at the time? It sure wasn’t W’s father or his advisors who knew and still know far more about the realities of foreign policy in general and the Middle East in particular than son George or his stage crew of bumbling bumpkins will ever understand. Even right wing pundits have begun to question their judgment, reports Peter Baker in the WaPo.
And who is Dick Cheney’s stage manager for the Middle East – or are there several? Elliot Abrams now deputy National Security Advisor for global democracy strategy is certainly one. Right, the very same Abrams who has been rising astronomically in the White House titles department since W’s reelection despite the fact he, Abrams, can never get confirmed by even a Republican-controlled Senate because of his sorted past in the Iran-contra affair.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m all for powerful and wise stage managers – like Cinderella’s fairy godmother – if they make the world a better place. But there are others occupying that title role who would do us big favors if they would return their tarnished wands and cracked conductors’ sticks to the wardrobe attendant in the costume department before immediately departing through the back door, down the iron steps and into the alley.
Photo credits: Santa Fe Opera roof, Santa Fe Opera; Joyce DiDonato as Cinderella in her coach, Santa Fe Opera (2006) by Ken Howard (photo from the Denver Post); White House and Layfette Square - Patricia H. Kushlis (spring 2004).