Master Class is a play by critically acclaimed playwright Terrence McNally. It premiered in 1995 at the John Golden Theater in New York City. The play, set in the 1970s, tells a fictional version of opera masterclasses by the real-life opera performer Maria Callas. Loosely based on her actual life as a well-renowned performer, Maria harshly criticizes each one of the young singers auditioning. The play characterizes Maria as a diva and a disgruntled perfectionist. During the classes, she often references back to her glory days as inspiration for her young students. She uses her personal experiences in the opera world as a mapping tool to sharpen her students to be the best. Despite her being an acclaimed singer, the play makes her out to be a villain in her story. Above all else, she demands the most out of her students even when she is not giving it her all.
Master Class was initially directed by Leonard Foglia. It starred Zoe Caldwell as the famous Maria Callas, Audra McDonald as the first soprano Sharon De Palma. Karen Kay Cody also starred as Sharon Graham, the second soprano and David Loud as Anthony Candolino, the tenor. Since it’s release, it has been performed thousands of times with different actors all around the world. Zoe Caldwell and Audra McDonald won the 1996 Tony Awards for Actress in a play and Featured Actress in a play respectively. Master Class also won the Tony Awards Best Play and Drama Desk Award for a new play that same year.
Despite its massive impact and success, Master Class was criticized by critics and fans alike for tarnishing the image of Maria Callas by turning her into a parody. Apart from a few factual enactments of Maria, most of it was fictional and Terrence McNally was often criticized for the way she portrayed Maria Callas. Master Class was controversially regarded as Terrence’s weakest play to date.
