When Opera Idaho's production of "Faust" hits the stage later this month, it won't just be the opera performing. For the first time since 1986, the music director of the Boise Philharmonic will be conducting, members of Idaho Dance Theatre will be part of the ensemble, and it all will be directed by Doug Copsey, co-founder of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival.

This performance marks a season that will be filled with collaborations among the city's largest arts and educational organizations. These efforts to work together support and promote fellow groups, build audiences and add depth to the Valley's arts community.

Interesting and creative collaborations have happened in the past, including Opera Idaho's and Idaho Shakespeare Festival's performance of "The Words and The Music: The Barber of Seville" in 1998, and Ballet Idaho's "Carmina Burana" with the Philharmonic, Boise Master Chorale and Opera Idaho choruses in 2000.

But this is the first time in memory when so many of the local arts groups have worked together at such a deep level.

"I've never known the collaboration at a level that people are talking about now," Copsey said. "Back in the day, if you will, the arts groups weren't as open. Each had their local turf, and there just wasn't cooperation."

The current climate began when the artistic leaders changed at three of Boise's largest arts groups in 2008. Peter Anastos took the helm of the "new" Ballet Idaho in February; Robert Franz joined the Philharmonic in April and Mark Junkert started at Opera Idaho in May.

"Being new gave us a chance to start fresh," Anastos said. "We are all turning a page, and it's nice that we're on the same page."

The first time these three directors were seated at a table together, they began to talk about how they could work together, Junkert said.

"Right off the bat, without knowing any history, we thought we ought to collaborate," he said. "I found out Peter had directed opera before, and I didn't know we hadn't had a conductor from the Philharmonic for an opera in so long. So I wanted to make that happen."

More opportunities became clear once they decided to collaborate, Franz said.

"It hit me that we have a great venue and jumping-off point to explore the other arts," he said. "It's really important as a cultural neighbor to open our doors to others. We also have a budget for guest artists. It's nice to see some of that come back to the community."

The Philharmonic will invite the opera, ballet and Idaho Shakespeare Festival onto its stage for concerts this season. It extended this idea to bring musicians from Boise State University on stage for a powerful performance of Gustav Holst's "The Planets" last month and will work with choirs from the College of Idaho on a future collaboration.

"It's really an inspiration for me," Franz said.

The collaborative energy also is seeping into theater. Boise Contemporary Theater is beginning to work with startup theater Alley Repertory.

Alley Rep's co-director Hollis Welsh is acting in BCT's current production of "The Pavilion," but that's more of a coincidence, said BCT artistic director Matthew Cameron Clark.

"Hollis gave the best audition, and I wanted to do the best show I could," he said.

But the two theater companies will co-market their individual productions of different Edward Albee plays later this fall and look for future opportunities to collaborate, Clark said.

"What they do is different than what we do, but there is some overlap," he said. "They're providing a venue for things I can't. BCT wouldn't be here if the Shakespeare Festival hadn't been so supportive. I know all too well how important that support can be."

These kinds of collaborations reflect a different, growing attitude. Even though all these groups compete for audience and funding, they are looking for strength in connectivity rather than division.

"It says we're all in this together," Anastos said. "We want to be part of the other arts. One of my goals from the beginning is to have live musicians for our (ballet) performances. The performance with the Phil allows us to show that we're good musicians, too. It's a great honor for us."

Later this season, Anastos will direct Opera Idaho's production of Gioachino Rossini's "Cinderella" ("La Cenerentola"), and Idaho Dance Theatre co-artistic director Marla Hansen will work on "Amahl and the Night Visitors" in December.

This level of collaboration offers a deeper understanding of how the arts connect, Franz said.

For the Boise Philharmonic and Opera Idaho collaboration in January, Franz has paired Leonard Bernstein's Suite from "Candide" with Symphony 41, "Jupiter," by Amadeus Mozart, arguably the classical composer most associated with opera.

It's not that the Philharmonic couldn't do the "Jupiter" alone, but in this combination it offers a richer context for the work, Franz said.

Collaborations like that can help groups expand their audiences and add to the overall depth of the artistic community, said Mark Hofflund, Idaho Shakespeare Festival managing director.

"You want the sum of an arts community to be greater than its parts," he said. "People expect more than just a run of a show or the routine concert. You want the vision, a sense there is a context for collaboration that sparks other ideas."

"It's useful to have people who don't come from operatic background to work with us," Junkert said. "They bring a totally different perspective and shake things up a bit."

It also benefits the individual artist, Anastos said.

"It's a tremendous opportunity to expand my own horizons," he said. "Anybody in one medium loves to do something in another. There are things you can do in opera you can't do in ballet, and I don't have to ask singers to dance. It's like a holiday."

Dana Oland: 377-6442