(Photo credit to Johanna Austin)
It’s one thing to be a “Jack of all trades”, but there are some people who, instead of being “master of none”, are “master of all”. I will confidently say Robert M. Johanson is one of those people. I was truly stunned by the many hats he wore when it came to Hilma. His parts were impressive- composer, co-orchestrator, music director, and of course he was also in the show playing Rudolf Steiner. It’s fantastic that there are people in this world who can do all of that. I’m also a little jealous.
Hilma was one hell of a show, and when I sat down and thought about who I’d like to talk to from the show, I quickly thought of Robert M. Johanson. If there’s anyone who can look at all of Hilma, from all angles, it’s him. I was also super curious about what goes into his creative process, as someone both behind the scenes and onstage. Robert M. Johanson has done so much for this show…has put so much passion into every aspect of it. It’s astounding.
I really had a good time thinking up some questions that would speak to everything Robert M. Johanson has done for Hilma, and his general thought process. He’s such an amazing and creative artist…I don’t think there’s anyone else quite like him in the theatre scene. I love what I’ve seen from him, and I truly hope I get to experience more of his work in the future. Here’s a bit of what goes on in Robert M. Johanson’s mind.
How does it feel to have written the music for this show and also performed in it?
I have done that a few times now. The first being in 2009 when I wrote the music for and performed in Life and Times with Nature Theater of Oklahoma, which had a few performances at Philly Live Arts (at the Wilma even!) back in 2013. I have to find ways to separate the composer and the actor, especially during rehearsals when we are working on my scenes, but I find it gets easier as the process moves along.
What was the process of embodying a character like Steiner?
When I am playing a role that is a historical figure, I try not to get too bogged down in biographical detail. I do enough research to get an idea, but, for me, it is more important to play and follow the beats of the scene. Kate and I envisioned this part of the play as a centerpiece of Act 1, where the action slows down to something closer to real-time, so even in writing the music for this scene, I was following its emotional twists and turns rather than thinking of the scene as a collection of songs. Also, I have known Kristin Sieh, who plays Hilma, for a long time, and she is such a great performer, so it was fun exploring what new things we could find in that scene each night.
What kind of music do you listen to to get in the mood or inspired?
I actually listen to many different types of music. I think while I was writing this piece, I was listening to a lot of Bach piano music and 17th-century choral music in the morning, and early electronic music, the Beach Boys, and 70’s soul in the evening. But my music rolodex changes constantly, so that's just what I remember at the moment.
Is there a reason you wanted to play the role of Steiner?
Hahaha…well…I guess I just like to be in the show. Originally I was not going to play Steiner, and it would have been doubled with one of the other roles, but I felt that having someone we haven’t seen yet come in for Steiner brings a different energy to that moment. Steiner invades the show with this dangerous, cis-male energy, which emphasizes the oppressive environment that Hilma was trying to create within.
How did you balance out all of your roles and positions in this show? Did you find one side came out more than another?
I think at first it was much more the composer as so much time was spent getting the scores ready, working with the performers and the band, making cuts, adding things, changes, and all that goes into making a new piece. I had to really concentrate on all of that in the beginning but had to turn it off when I was doing rehearsals for my scenes. Every now and then, I would be acting the scene and finding myself conducting someone into an entrance or correcting a wrong note, but I had to really find a way to drop that. After the premiere, it was really just concentrating on playing Steiner.
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Most people in theatre are brimming with creativity and are so artistic, but some people are just so well rounded and we get to see all of that happening in front of us. Even if part of Robert M. Johanson’s role in Hilma was an offstage aspect that went into the creating of the show, we experienced all of it as we watched the show. Him performing in it as well was just the icing on the cake. We’re certainly lucky to have him here!
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