La Fille du Régiment GAETANO DONIZETTI
E DUCATOR’S GUIDE AC
OMPANION TO THE STUDENT GUIDE
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
YOUR ROLE IN OPERA
Opera offers a unique teaching opportunity to explore the arts through many different disciplines including literature, art, history, science, math, and music. This guide has been designed to provide educators with suggestions on how to integrate the music and historical background of Donizetti's La Fille du régiment into the existing curriculum. For applicable National Standards, please contact Washington National Opera's Education and Community Programs Department at 202.448.3465 or at education@dc-opera.org.
Opera is a collaborative art. It requires the work of many people including the director, designer, singers, orchestra, crew, and audience. The audience is an important part of every performance. As an audience member, your role is to suspend disbelief and imagine that the story enacted before you is really happening, to let the action and music surround you, and to become part of the show. To help your students feel comfortable with their role at the opera, Washington National Opera has prepared some tips for performance etiquette. Please review At the Opera House (in the Student Guide) with your students. Following these guidelines will help everyone have a positive experience!
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE The dress rehearsal of La Fille du régiment will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. The Kennedy Center Opera House doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Please plan to arrive early, as latecomers will be seated only at suitable breaks in the music, often not until intermission. Seating at Washington National Opera's dress rehearsals is open. When you arrive, please have your passes ready to present to the ushers who will direct you to the area of the Opera House where you will be seated. The running time for this rehearsal of La Fille du régiment is approximately two hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.
THE SETTING Visual/Performing Arts: Directors sometimes set operas in a different location or time period from which the opera was originally set by the THE STORY librettist. Watch a video of La Fille du Theater/Dance: The story and characters in opera régiment either before or after your can sometimes be complicated. Review the synopsis students attend the dress rehearsal. and characters with your students and have them Compare and contrast the two prodepict the story through movement to better underductions. Are they set in the same time stand the main events of the opera. period or is one updated? Be sure to discuss visual elements such as set Theater/Creative Writing: Have students write a design, lighting, and costumes as well short paragraph about each of the characters. Be sure as the musical and performance to include their physical description as well as their aspects. In what other places or time personality traits. periods could this opera be set?