Artistic Team
David Bass
David Bass (Founder and Musical Director). As a teenager, David was a prolific composer of pretentious music and studied music at Yale, where he quickly became discouraged. He received a BS in chemistry from Yale and a doctorate in chemical engineering from MIT, during which time he arranged dozens of songs for the close harmony a cappella groups at these institutions. After a 20-year hiatus from musical composition, David wrote the distinctly unpretentious Space Opera for the enjoyment of his three young children, their friends, and their families.
Deborah Mason
Deborah Mason (Choreographer) inspires young dancers and athletes, setting high standards for creative excellence and physical prowess. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Deborah Mason School of Dance, which has served as a training ground for young dancers since 1974. She is Founder and Executive Director of Cambridge Youth Dance, a non profit dance and performing arts program for serious dancers in the Cambridge area, providing scholarship subsidies to offset the tution cost for full-time students.
David Sandberg
David Sandberg (Dramatic Director) appeared on the stage of the North Cambridge Family Opera from 2001 through 2005, including the roles of Ahasuerus (in both Coronation of Esther and Springtime for Haman) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (in the 2005 Space Opera). Beginning in 2006, he left the stage for the challenging role of dramatic director, a post he has not held since he directed musicals at summer camp many years ago. He has directed (alone or with others) since 2006: Antiphony, Kids Court, Puzzle Jigs and Weaver’s Wedding. In both his performing and directing roles he has had the extraordinary privilege of working with his two talented daughters, who were the impetus for his joining the opera company in the first place ten years ago. When not working with NCFO, David serves as the unofficial cantor at the Tremont Street Shul (synagogue) in Cambridge and also enjoys performing Gilbert and Sullivan.
Dale Senechal
Dale Senechal (Lighting Designer and Technical Director) has been the Technical Director for NCFOC since 1999, responsible for overseeing and implementing all technical aspects of company productions. Prior to that he has been Technical Director for the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, the Opera Company of Boston, and Wellesley College Theatre. He was Scenic Designer/Master Carpenter for Turtle Lane Players, and Master Carpenter at the Castle Hill Festival.
Peter Watson
Peter Watson (Set Designer) has been "in theatre" since childhood, receiving set building instruction from his father and subsequently majoring in theatre at school in London. Following a successful college level teaching career in England, Peter toured India for three years with RTG - a theatre company performing Shakespeare and musical comedy. Since settling in New England, Peter has designed over fifty shows for a wide variety of performance groups and is currently adjunct Professor of Scenic Design at Lasell College in Newton.
