Reflections of the Eastman Theatre
At the age of seven I began taking Suzuki violin lessons at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. For the next 10 years I either took violin and theory lessons there, practiced and performed on the stage in the youth orchestra or attended many concerts in the beautiful theatre. To a young girl the theatre was immense and magical. I marveled at its shape – not quite a square yet not a circle either – it was wide at one end and thinner at the stage end – completely normal for a theatre but intriguing for me. The walls went up, up and up and were filled with elaborate carvings of men, women and children, from various scends I can’t remember. Sitting in the plush maroon velvet seats I would stare at the walls for minutes on end, trying to decipher the carvings. And I would stare at the incredibly huge crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling. Whether I was sitting on the first floor or up in the large balcony I was always amazed that it never fell. It seemed as big as a car, with thousands of clear gems to reflect the light from the bulbs. For a little girl the chandelier was so utterly impressive.
I ran around the Eastman Theatre for years with my friends. Since we were students at the school we were regular visitors to the theatre and therefore felt comfortable there, like it was our home. We ran up and down the stairs and played games in all the circular hallways, reception rooms, coat closets, etc. We knew how to get on stage and back stage and into the dressing rooms downstairs. It was like a mansion. Everything was so large and ornate, the old painting on the walls, the fancy tables and lamps, the dark, heavy curtains and windows that looked out onto downtown streets, curved, flowing staircases, curved hallways. I always felt lucky to be there, knowing that the experience was special even though it was common to me.
I was part of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in the 1970’s with Howard Weiss as conductor. We were a formidable orchestra of the time, recording three albums and sometimes performing with the professional orchestra. I took violin lessons from two players in the Philharmonic as well as with Howard Weiss for several years. From the theatre stage itself the perspective facing out to the audience was also impressive. There were a lot of seats or people to impress and the balcony stared at the stage from above. And of course, there was the huge chandelier, dangling above all of us, uniting everyone.
From the audience my parents took me to see violinists Itzak Perlman as a young man, Zvi Zeitlan, Isaac Stern, others I can’t recall, and even a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. Such good days of my youth at the Eastman Theatre!
