Dare to move : A singer exploring operatic acting

As my studies in classical singing have progressed, my voice has grown, and my repertoire has started to consist more and more of opera arias. This change introduced me to staged performance that also involved acting. When asked to move around on stage while singing, I froze. “Do something!” I thought. Suddenly, I knew nothing, and my mind went blank. My only clue was to start with the text. Through this project, I have studied two acting methods to learn about how analysis of scripts, or in the opera world librettos, can contribute to a better understanding of characterization and character motivation. I have created a questionnaire to analyze Donna Elvira from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni and then used that analysis to explore and improve my staging strategies to stage her aria “Ah chi mi dice mai”. To conclude the effects of the analysis, I have also compared the staged performance to an older recording of the same aria. This work has taken away my fear of performing and can hopefully help others with similar challenges.