October in Delaware: Così fan tutte
This month, I have had the remarkable opportunity to sing the role of Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, one of his great Da Ponte operas, with ingenious musical moments and one of the most ridiculous storylines in the operatic canon. The libretto gives us two young men who agree to test their young betrothed lovers, who are sisters, to prove their faithfulness by pretending to go off to battle and then reappearing in disguises to try to woo the young ladies. They are encouraged to do this by an older friend and the plot is urged along by a bored maidservant who thinks the young women are ridiculous and ignorant of the world and men. At first the ladies are outraged to have these strangers in their house, but in the second act, they fall for their advances. In the end, there is a grand reveal and supposedly neither the men nor the ladies are living under the same ignorance as before. Were the old or the newly kindled feelings real? Do the couples go back to the couplings they began with? Who is being tricked and who is doing the tricking? In classic Mozart opera fashion, it’s a big tangled ball of love. This opera showcases some of the most exquisite vocal music, especially in the ensembles. The show is almost entirely ensembles, which is so exciting and gratifying (and a lot of music, a lot of stage time).
I love Opera Delaware. It is a company made up of people who genuinely care about the art and the artists AND the community. This combination is rare to find, especially at a small opera company with more limited resources. But there is a “hire-no-jerks” policy at Opera Delaware and they stick to it! Every single person I have worked with here has been so lovely and so real. The cast and crew of this Così are no exception. It has been thrilling and FUN to work with these folks, and it has been a space of great trust and being able to be vulnerable on the stage and off. I am so, so grateful for this experience, because it has urged me to grow as a human as well as an artist. I have been safely able to consider my character in contrast with myself and to open up to being someone who is fundamentally very different than I am on the stage, someone who’s character I could use a little more of in my real life.
Dorabella is impulsive, prone to outbursts and tantrums (aka she feels her emotions in the moment), she just wants to be loved, she is trusting and dependent on her sister or whatever lover she finds herself with. She is curious and unafraid to test the waters of something new. She is a feeler. She is not a planner. She looks up to her sister and desires to have some of the same power that her sister wields as a strong and disciplined young woman. I, Marie, am much more like the character of her sister Fiordiligi, so it has been exciting to dive into a character who reacts to things so differently than I would, who allows herself to release her emotions in the moment rather than carefully considering what to reveal, what to process and what to conceal.
In addition to loving my work and being wholly immersed in it (I had fun explaining what I do on a daily basis to my sister, Grace, because it also helped me realize just how intense the focus that we have to retain as artists and actors is. The music is always running through your head, you think about your character when you aren’t in rehearsal, etc.), I have loved being in Delaware and so close to Grace and her family in Lancaster county. On my first day off, Grace and the kids came to visit me so we could go to a museum and check out historic New Castle, where I am living. One my next day off, I drove to Lancaster, got lunch with my old Roommate from Vienna (Liz!), spent the afternoon shopping around this most charming city and had dinner with Grace. My last day off, I finally went to one of the beautiful state parks nearby to enjoy walking in the fall foliage and then drove to Grace’s to sort out my stuff for my next relocation (back to NYC for 2 months). I don’t hate that the baby is starting to recognize me more quickly ;-)
Otherwise, I have been enjoying cooking in a real kitchen again and sorting out many of the life things that I have had on hold for many months with all of my location shifts. It’s good. I feel like I can hear the creative spirit again and I am excited about what is to come.
Our first rehearsal in the Opera House is tonight and we open on Friday! I can’t wait to have an audience to laugh at our shenanigans and to feel the gorgeous music! Also very excited for the family and friends who are coming out to the performances on Friday and Sunday!
Much love!
Marie on the Road.
