Performing a role : learning, interpreting, and portraying Musetta in Giacomo Puccini's La bohème

Abstract

Learning and performing a role in an opera poses many musical, physical, and psychological challenges. Puccini's opera, La Boheme, is the story of friends struggling to find their place in the world and developing relationships with each other. Characters in this opera are common people leading common lives. The stories of each character are written in the score, but the interpretation is left to the actor or actress playing the role. Learning how to portray a human being other than one's own self is a challenge not for the faint of heart. This thesis shows my personal process of developing and interpreting the character of Musetta.