Eve Shapiro
Vocal Arts Faculty

Eve Shapiro, who was born in South Africa, joined Juilliard's faculty in 1976, when she came to the Drama Division and directed such plays as The Three Sisters, The Importance of Being Earnest, Man and Superman, Hedda Gabler, and Uncle Vanya. After 25 years, she moved to the Vocal Arts Department in 2001 and has been directing opera productions including La Cenerentola, Susannah, Eugene Onegin, and Die Fledermaus. Shapiro also taught and directed at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and is a frequent director for the Acting Company in New York.

Eve Shapiro

What is the most striking difference between Juilliard now and when you first started teaching here?

Juilliard has always been a school with high standards, providing excellent training for young talent. This is still the case. But what is strikingly different is that it has become a community where collaboration is encouraged between the different art forms—music, drama, and dance—and as a result, has helped to broaden horizons for each student. There is guidance for young artists embarking on their careers, helping them to realize that they have the task of making art important in people's lives. The passionate caring and commitment of Joseph Polisi to the School and to its talented performers has created an atmosphere that is encouraging, supportive, and stimulating. He has allowed the "winds of Heaven" to blow through the building (in which ironically, windows cannot be opened, but in which talent is given the opportunity to flourish).

Has your teaching changed over the years? How?

The skills that need to be learned—how to communicate as an actor/singer and bring a role to life—remain the same. However, my teaching methods have changed. My experience in working with actors at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, at Juilliard, and now with the opera singers in the Juilliard Opera Center has helped me to develop ways of teaching that are simpler, more direct, and tailored to the specific needs of each individual. Maybe I now understand T. S. Eliot's lines in The Four Quartets: "A condition of complete simplicity/(Costing not less than everything)/And all shall be well and/All manner of thing shall be well." One thing remains constant, and that is the immense joy and fulfillment that opening doors for students has given me.

If you could have your students visit any place in the world, where would it be and why?

I suppose I would tell a student to visit England. I am, of course, biased. When I left South Africa to live in London, I was young and very naïve, but I had a longing for an experience that would open my eyes to a different culture. I yearned to see good theater, hear music excellently performed, and visit museums. London had all this to offer, as well as a long history and much tradition. But it doesn't matter where you choose to go. Traveling opens up new worlds, broadens one's outlook on life, exposes one to different and fascinating cultures. T. S. Eliot seems to be on my mind today, so I quote this also from The Four Quartets: "We shall not cease from exploration/And the end of all our exploring/Will be to arrive where we started/And know the place for the first time."

What would people be most surprised to know about you?

Possibly, people who don't know me well would be surprised to learn that I—who enjoy expressing my thoughts and opinions in the classroom, in rehearsal, and with my colleagues—really don't like speaking in public. As the years go by, I find it a little easier, so, as they say, "Where there's life, there's hope."

Who influenced you most in your career?

The greatest influence in my career was meeting and getting to know an actress from the Burgtheater in Vienna, Lilo Karasek. I knew her as Lisa. I met her in South Africa when she wanted to improve her English conversation, and I was thought to be the person to help her. She made me aware of what truly good acting should be. She brought Europe to Pretoria. Most important of all, she encouraged me to be a director, because she said she knew that was where I would have the most to give. I never forgot her. And a signed photograph she gave me has these two words on it: "Know thyself."

If you weren't in the career you are in, what would you be doing?

I have always loved going to restaurants—not just for the food, but for the company I am with, and for listening to other people's conversations and people-watching. My mother suggested in humor that the best career for me would be a food critic—so there you have it!