North Cambridge Family Opera Company: Who we Are

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 acapella 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. David directed productions of Space Opera in May 1999, May 2000, and March 2005. His second opera, The Coronation of Esther, was performed in March 2001, and its sequel Springtime for Haman, was performed in March 2004. David has also directed three other Family Opera productions: Antiphony in March 2002 and April 2006, and Puzzle Jigs in April 2003. David collaborated with noted actor and playwright John Kane on a fourth opera Kids Court performed in March and April 2007, and plans to continue writing music for as long as he can avoid taking himself too seriously.

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. Her credits include a leading role in the musical Cinderella in summer stock, touring NewYork City, Chicago, Kansas City, and Boston with "The Dance Caravan". She has worked with some of the finest dancers in the dance world such as, Brenda Buffalino of The American Tap Dance Orchestra, Leon Collins, Sue Ronson, The Nicholas Brothers, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, and Luigi. Deborah has trained over six thousand students, she takes her passion and commitment to the class and the community. Having served the City of Cambridge for 30 years she was commissioned by Mayor Reeves to serve on the Board for the Arts in Cambridge. Deborah has been honored with the key to the city of Cambridge, and has been cited from the city of Boston for her continued success, she has been honored by Mayor Sheila Russell for her dedication to young women's development, received The Galluccio Award for her commitment to youth sports. and was recently cited by The United States Senate in Washington for providing a high quality arts education for decades. Deborah's expertise in training continues to produce accomplished dancers and the studio's outstanding faculty is the tradition of excellence that is synonymous with the name Deborah Mason School of Dance.

David Sandberg (Dramatic Director) is pleased to assume directorial duties for the first time since he directed musicals at summer camp lo these many years ago. For the previous five years he has appeared on the NCFOC stage, including a typecast appearance as the Dung Beetle in the first production of Antiphony, but is delighted this year to cede the spotlights and footlights to his two magnificent daughters and the rest of this wonderful cast. David serves as the sometimes cantor at the Tremont Street Shul (synagogue) in Cambridge and also enjoys performing Gilbert and Sullivan.

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 (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.