April Play On! Materials
LA SUSANNA
For the month of April, we are focusing on the story of La Susanna. It’s a story about lies, listening, and standing up for what’s right. We meet with Guest Artists Ariana Douglas, soprano; Peregrine Heard, dramaturg and translator; Reid Thompson, set designer; and Jacob Ashworth, violinist and conductor!. We learn in this unit about the power and flexibility of words, about envisioning new worlds, building spaces, and moving the music.
GUEST ARTIST FEATURES
La Susanna production page- Opera Lafayette
La Susanna production page- Heartbeat
ACTIVITIES
Ariana Douglas is a returning Guest Artist. Here are activities inspired by her performance of Daniele in La Susanna:
Sing and Enunciate: Patter Songs and Speedy Sounds
Act and Inspire: Interpreting Daniel
Craft: Share what makes you care
Telling the Story: Research and Inspiration
La Susanna is originally a story from The Bible. It has been re-interpreted many times
Change over time
Part of the work of the dramaturg is to put a story in context: when was it written? When did it take place? What has changed in our world since then? How do we tell that story for today?
One tool they might use is a timeline- a drawing to place events in chronological order. Like this:
Build a timeline for your own life: does it start with your birth? Or even before that? What about your parents or grandparents? What are the major events in your life story so far? What do you imagine might happen next? Feel free to make it a map, show the feelings that go along with each event, make it your own.
Mini Models
Reid shows us how in set design, there are 4 steps for showing the space, or the set we want to build for the show:
1. Research
2. Draw
3. Map
4. Model
In our workshop with Reid we research and draw Susanna’s fountain garden. You can keep working on that, or pick any of your own stories.
1. Where does it take place?
2. Research: look at pictures, or go for a walk, talk to people who know about that kind of place, ask them questions. Gather your ideas in your head, or in pictures.
3. Draw: now put your ideas on paper. What does this space look like? What features do you want it to have? A curtain- what color? What is the floor made of? How will you make the water?
4. Map: show us where all the parts are. If we were looking at this space from directly above, what’s downstage? What’s upstage?
5. Model: Now you can turn your drawing into a miniature set, also known as a model. You can use a shoebox, or an old tupperware, anything that defines the space and holds everything together. See what supplies you have on hand. You might use tissue paper, clay, toothpicks, paper cutouts, see what works to bring your set to life.
Moving the Music
Jacob shows us how to conduct a song in 2, 3, or 4. He moves his hands in specific patterns to keep all the instrumentalists, singers, and dancers in time with each other. Next time you are listening to music, or singing a song, try marking the time along with the music. Imagine you are conducting the music yourself. If the music is loud, your movement can be big! If it is quieter, make your movements smaller, more delicate.
OPERA STARTS WITH OH! IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM PART OF
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