Working on the role of Despina has been a very interesting and enjoyable process, especially under the direction of Nancy Hermiston who has performed the role countless times, which gives me and my double, Stephanie Domingues, great insight into this character. Despina is the chambermaid of two spoiled and sheltered sisters, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, and she herself could not be more different from both of them. Even from her first lines, “Che vita maledetta ѐ il far la cameriera!” meaning, “What a cursed life it is to be a maid!” the hardships of Despina’s life are evident and her opinion on social status is made clear. Never-the-less, the saucy Despina goes about her work light-heartedly, yet is always eager to make a few extra bucks on the side. In the opera, Despina’s weakness for gold makes her go as far as dressing up and impersonating a doctor and a notary to help Don Alfonso fool her mistresses which is very fun to act. If you’ve seen Così fan tutte before, you know how comical these scenes and the rest of the opera are, and if you haven’t, hopefully I’ve intrigued you to come out and see one of Mozart’s beloved masterpieces!
With less than 2 weeks to go, tickets are selling fast! Visit www.ubcopera.com for more info.
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