Q & A: Robert Wesley Mason on ‘The Shining’ & Returning to the Opera at the Portland Opera

(Credit: Nick Coleman/Coleman PhotoGraphix)On March 15, the Portland Opera is set to present “The Shining” an opera by Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell. The work comes from the iconic book by Stephen King that was made legendary by Stanley Kubrick with his 1980 film starring Jack Nicholson.Having made its world premiere in 2016, the opera has been performed to great acclaim around the country.

One of its recent lead interpreters is Robert Wesley Mason, a baritone who has become a lead interpreter of 21st-century American operas at the Fort Worth Opera, Nashville Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Hawaii Opera Theatre, among others. Mason first performed “The Shining” in 2023 with Opera Parallele and garnered raved reviews for his role as Jack Torrance. Critics said he “strongly sung and acted” the role and had “impressive stamina.



”Now two years later he is returning to the work and ahead of performances in Portland, OperaWire had a chance to speak with Mason about the opera and the iconic role.OperaWire: Tell me about playing this iconic role. How do you get into the character?Robert Wesley Mason: Jack Torrance is one of the most misunderstood characters in pop culture.

The Kubrick film looms so large that many people don’t realize how layered and human Stephen King made him—his struggles with addiction, trauma, and his attempts at redemption are at the core of the story. This opera brings those elements to the forefront in a way no other adaptation has.I always revisit King’s novel before stepping into rehearsals, reviewing the notes in my copy, and warming up with movement improvisation.

My approach is psycho-physical, using tools from my work with acting coach Bethany Caputo, a Michael Chekhov Acting Technique based teacher and an incredible artist. These techniques help evoke imagination while balancing operatic demands, allowing me to physically and emotionally connect with Jack in a sustainable way. I explore Jack’s archetypes—the poet, the destroyer, the victim—and how those manifest in his posture and gestures.

Some of his physical habits, like rubbing his lips, clenching his fists, chewing, come straight from the novel, and I incorporate them into my performance. More than anything, I focus on how he meets the atmosphere—as a husband, father, teacher, writer, and a man fighting his demons.OW: When you first studied the role, did you go to the original source material? Did you watch the Kubrick movie? What did you learn from both?RWM: When I was first cast, Mark Campbell advised me to avoid the Kubrick film.

The opera aligns more with the novel, where Jack’s descent is gradual with far more humanity. King’s Jack is a man trying to be better, trying to prove to himself and his family that he’s changed. But the Overlook Hotel exploits every insecurity and fear he has.

One thing that stood out from the novel is how deeply Jack loves Danny and Wendy. That’s what makes it a tragedy—he’s fighting to save his family while wrestling with his own dark side: alcoholism, rage, self-loathing, suicidal ideation, and the scars of his father’s abuse. That’s where I ground my performance.

I had, of course, already seen Kubrick’s film which changes quite a bit of Stephen King’s material, and while Jack Nicholson’s performance is exceptional, he plays Jack as unhinged from the start, which flattens the arc. King himself has criticized that choice. That being said, Nicholson’s intensity and commitment is very inspiring and exciting to witness.

OW: How do you separate yourself from Nicholson’s performance?RWM: By letting King’s Jack lead the way and fully embracing what Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell have given us in their adaptation. Jack isn’t just a horror villain—he’s a man losing a battle he was already barely winning, someone who wants to be better but gets dragged under by his past, his addiction, and the Overlook’s influence. The opera gives him more opportunities for tenderness and depth; to show genuine care for his family.

He tries to fight back, but ultimately, he loses. Many people have never seen this more human Jack Torrance, and I take the responsibility of that interpretation very seriously. Also, I do have one major advantage in distinction—my Jack Torrance sings.

OW: Tell me about the production in Portland.RWM: This is a co-production between Portland Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, and Opera Parallèle, where I first performed the role in the West Coast premiere in 2023 in San Francisco. It pares down the orchestration and set, making the opera more accessible for companies of different sizes while still preserving its intensity.

The set is immersive, with breathtaking projections and modular components that seamlessly transition between the Overlook’s eerie, shifting rooms. It’s incredibly fulfilling to build on the foundations of what we originally created under Nicole Paiement and Brian Staufenbiel’s leadership and to continue refining the presentation.Erin Neff’s direction brings meticulous detail and an intense passion to the piece.

A major highlight has been her focus on the evolving dynamic between Jack and Wendy—from their once-loving relationship to the raw, physical brutality of their fights in Act two. This staging fully leans into the novel’s intensity and showcases Wendy’s ferocity in protecting herself and Danny, something that often gets overshadowed in pop culture portrayals. Soprano Rebecca Krynski Cox is a dream colleague and a stellar Wendy, working with her has been a blast.

Damien Geter is a powerhouse in the pit—a true renaissance man whose guidance as a conductor is as authoritative as it is empathetic. As a composer and singer himself, he brings a deep sensitivity to our needs, helping us navigate the immense vocal and emotional demands of the score. His presence is warm, powerful, and reassuring—few wield the baton with such a balance of precision and care.

The entire team is sensational. Everyone is so well prepared and fearlessly diving in.OW: Tell me about the music and its biggest challenges.

RWM: Paul Moravec’s score is a beast. Jack is onstage for almost the entire opera and the vocal writing shifts with his psychological state. At first, the music is mostly traditional in a Western sense—lyrical, tonal, flowing, and romantic with dashes of jazz.

As Jack descends into madness, the music warps. It moves between Puccini-esque lyricism, Stravinsky-like rhythmic violence, and full-out atonality.Pacing is everything.

Act two is relentless, with augmented and diminished arpeggios, wide leaps, and ascending chromatic lines mirroring Jack’s psychological unraveling. The tessitura sits between B3-F4 for long stretches, so managing stamina is crucial. If you give everything too soon, you’ll burn out quickly.

From a purely aural standpoint, there is the additional challenge of making sure you are singing the correct intervals as sometimes your ear can pull you off about a half step or so; particularly when it’s changing key during a capella sections or when you have to lock in your line against a series of minor seconds.OW: Do you have any favorite scenes?RWM: Well there is definitely the Act two ballroom scene, where Jack gets pulled into the Overlook’s ghostly New Year’s Eve party. It starts as this big-band, celebratory moment, but sinister, macabre, and unsettling, Jack is fully possessed by the hotel in a euphoric horror as he gulps down martinis.

But my favorite moments are probably the few pages of Jack and Danny’s initial father-son moments as well as their final confrontation where Danny stands up to the monster Jack, reminding his Dad of his love...

just heart-wrenching.OW: How has your interpretation developed over time?RWM: The first time I sang Jack was in 2023. I was mostly focused on just surviving the role and its technical demands.

Stepping in at Opera Parallèle, I only had about two months to learn it and get it into my body while wrapping a run of “Carousel” in Pensacola and navigating my final semester as a pre-doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan. Now, I feel like I have more space to explore the nuances while not having to manage as intense of a mental state with the uncertainty of an unfamiliar track.This time I’ve leaned more into Jack’s quieter moments, showing how his love for Wendy and Danny flickers even as he loses control.

I’m more intentional about the tenderness of Act one, which makes Act two all the more tragic.I also have a deeper appreciation for the score’s structure—how Moravec builds Jack’s collapse step by step as well as Mark’s nods to the novel and motifs. There is so much to chew on.

OW: What excites you about returning to this work?RWM: Returning to “The Shining” is so exciting for a number of reasons but the audience reaction is probably the most satisfying one. Everywhere it goes, it almost always sells out and brings all kinds of people to the opera house.Jack Torrance is one of the most rewarding, complex characters I’ve ever played.

There’s always something new to discover and it calls upon every tool and skill set I’ve amassed these last 20 years of appearing on the opera stage. It’s incredibly fulfilling as a performer, particularly as an American opera singer navigating a career that began in the post-9/11 economy, having intimately witnessed the changes and evolution of our art form in the last two decades, which are vast. While the future holds a great deal of uncertainty and challenge, we are simultaneously reaping the benefits of a lot of experimentation and risk that countless people have put forth over the years.

The results have brought us works like this. I love being part of that, it’s a real honor and privilege that I don’t take lightly. Having the opportunity to return to a 21st-century opera is special and I am really grateful for that.

The post Q & A: Robert Wesley Mason on ‘The Shining’ & Returning to the Opera at the Portland Opera appeared first on OperaWire..