Music by Roger Ames Libretto by Jeffrey Gilden A bilingual opera that every student, no matter his or her cultural background, can relate to. OPERA GUIDE THANK YOU 2 ¡Muchisimas Gracias! ATtlantaha nFoundationk you! A million thanksBright for Wingsthe support Foundation from the following George M. Brown Trust Fund of Atlanta organizations,Mary Brown without Fund whom of Atlanta our programs wouldCamp-Younts not beFoundation possible. City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Fidelity Bank Anschutz Family FoundationPrice Gilbert, Jr. CharitableRaphael Levy Fund Memorial Foundation Thomas W. Bean Foundation J.K. Mullen Foundation Bonfils-Stanton Foundation The Goizueta FoundationNational Endowment for the Arts Central City Opera House AssociationHills Family Guild Foundation Post-News Charities, a McCormick City of Glendale Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Foundation Foundation Fund Colorado Council on the Arts Schramm Foundation Denver Lyric Opera GuildKiwanis FoundationHenry of R. A Schwiertlanta Charitable Fund El Pomar Foundation Lois & Lucy LampkinGalen Foundation and Adabelle Spencer Foundation Fine Arts Foundation Sara Giles MooreScientific Foundation and Cultural Facilities District Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado Lloyd David and Carlye Cannon Wattis William Randolph HearstNational Foundation Endowment Foundationfor the A rts The Hill Foundation Nordson CorporationWells Foundation Fargo Mabel Y. Hughes CharitableIda Trust A. R yan CharitableXcel Energy Trust Foundation Helen K. Arthur E. Johnson Foundation KWGN 2, a fund of theSunTrust Trusteed Foundations McCormick FoundationWells Fargo Philanthropic Giving Program Frances Wood Wilson Foundation The Zeist Foundation Table of Contents Palabras – Words • ¡Bienvenidos! • En Mis Palabras • El Poder de Nuestras Palabras – The Power of Our Own Words • ¡Drama, drama y más drama! – The Spanish Telenovela • La Canción de un Pájaro – Songbird – Rodolfo’s Extended Metaphor Poem Cultura – Culture • Mexico, Colorado – An Investigation of Mexican Culture Mayor’s Office of • Día de losCultur Muertosal Affairs – Day of the Dead La Inmigración – Immigration • MajorEstación support de Inmigraciónfor this program – Immigration is provided Stationby the National Endowment for the SourcesArts/ andArt Works Special and byThanks the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs. Appendix A: Opera Dictionary Appendix B: How to be a Good Theatre Audience A veryAppendix special C: thank Colorado you toModel Deborah Content Morrow, Standards D irector of Education and AppendixCommunity D: Central CityEngagement Opera’s Education for Central & Community City Opera. Programs En Mis Palabras Opera Guide developed by Alyson Chavez, commissioned by Central City Opera TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Music by Roger Ames Libretto by Jeffrey Gilden OPERA GUIDE PALABRAS – Words ¡Bienvenidos!........................................................................................................................4 Common Core Georgia Performance Standards ...........................................................5 En Mis Palabras ....................................................................................................................6 Synopsis ...........................................................................................................................7 Biographies......................................................................................................................8 El Poder de Nuestras Palabras – The Power of Our Own Words .................................9 ¡Drama, drama y más drama! – The Spanish Telenovela .............................................11 La Canción de un Pájaro – Songbird – Rodolfo’s Extended Metaphor Poem ..............13 CULTURA – CulTURE Mexico, Colorado – An Investigation of Mexican Culture ...........................................15 Día de los Muertos – Day of the Dead ............................................................................17 LA INMIGRACIón – ImmIGRATION Estación de Inmigración – Immigration Station .............................................................19 SOURCES & SPECIAL THANKS ..........................................................................................26 APPENDIX A: OPERA DICTIONARY .................................................................................27 APPENDIX B: HOW TO BE A GOOD THEATRE AUDIENCE ......................................31 iBIENVENIDOS! ¡Bienvenidos! 4 Welcome to the Study Guide for En Mis Palabras (In My Own Words). En Mis Palabras is the story of Ana Maria, a young Mexican girl torn between her family’s culture and American society. En Mis Palabras is a powerful story about finding your own voice – and how appropriate, considering it’s an opera! In this guide you will find activities about words, culture and immigration – all related to Ana Maria’s struggle to find her true self. Because En Mis Palabras is a bilingual opera, in English and in Spanish, you will also see lots of Spanish vocabulary words. If you don’t speak Spanish, take this opportunity to learn some new words! Like this one - ¡Diviértate! (dee-vee-YER-tah-tay) Have fun! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have you seen an opera before? If yes… • When? • Where? • What company performed the opera? • What production did you see? • What did you think of it? If you have not seen an opera, have you heard opera music before? (Think about television shows and commercials – they frequently use opera music.) What do you think of opera? Are your thoughts stereotypical or are they based on real experience? En Mis Palabras is a relatively new opera. It was commissioned by Central City Opera in 2005. That means the opera company hired a composer and librettist and worked with them specifically to create this opera. It took one year to write the opera and prepare it for performance. En Mis Palabras premiered in January 2006. AFTER YOU HAVE SEEN THE PERFORMANCE, answer the following questions… • What is one thing you learned about opera? • What is one thing that surprised you about the show? • Have you ever heard people sing like that before? • How is opera different than a play? A ballet? A musical? ELACC6-8SL1, VA6-8MC.4, VA6-8C.1, MMSMA.6 – 8 COMMON CORE GA PERFORMANCE STANDARDS 5 Lessons included in the Opera Guide for En Mis Palabras are designed to correlate with Georgia Common Core Performance Standards for Middle School grades. Specific standards addressed are listed with each corresponding activity or lesson. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS Bienvenidos/Watching and discussing ELACC6-8SL1 The Power of Our Own Words ELACC6-8W2, ELACC6-8W4, ELACC6-8L1, ELACC6-8L2,ELACC6-8L3 The Spanish Telenovela ELACC6-8W3 Rodolfo’s Extended Metaphor Poem ELACC6-8L1, ELACC6-8L5, ELACC7-8RL4, ELACC7W3, ELACC7L6, ELACC6-8L2 Mexico, Colorado ELACC6-8W7 Immigration Station ELACC6-8RI7, ELACC6-8W1, ELACC6-8W7, ELACC6-8W9, ELACC6-8SL1, ELACC6-8L1 Opera Dictionary ELACC6-8L4 SOCIAL STUDIES Mexico, Colorado ELACC6-8WHST7 Day of the Dead SS6G1b, SS6H2 Immigration Station SS6G4, SS6H3 VISUAL ARTS Bienvenidos/Watching and discussing VA6-8MC.4, VA6-8C.1 MUSIC Bienvenidos/ Watching and discussing MMSMA.6 - 8 Immigration Station MMSMA.9 Opera Dictionary M6-8GM.8, MMSMA.8 Enjoying the performance M6-8GM.9 THEATER The Power of Our Own Words TAMS6-8.7 The Spanish Telenovela TAMS6-8.1, TAMS6-8.2, Enjoying the Performance TAMS6-8.11 FOREIGN LANGUAGE Mexico, Colorado MLI.CU1, MLI.CCC1, MLI.CCC2 The Day of the Dead MLI.CU1 HEALTH The Power of Our Own Words HE6-7.1B EN MIS PALABRASEn Mis Palabras 6 In a quest to find her own voice, fifteen year old Ana Maria is pulled in many directions as she struggles to find the balance between her Mexican heritage and being an American teen. Her brother wants her to defy their father and try her wings, her father doesn’t understand her desire to be like her friends, her grandmother counsels that she must search her heart for the answer. Ana Maria finds that there is no easy choice, no choice that won't bring pain to someone. But through her journey she finally hears her heart and learns to truly speak in her own words. Central City Opera presents presents Music by Roger Ames Libretto by Jeffrey Gilden Muisc by Roger Ames │ Book and Lyrics by Jeffrey Gilden │ Directed by Anthony J. Garcia EN MIS PALABRAS (In My Own Words) A New One-Act Opera in Spanish and English A bilingual opera that every student, no matter his or her cultural background, can relate to. Directed by Alison Moritz EN MIS PALABRAS (In My Own Words) A One-Act Opera in Spanish and English SYNOPSIS 7 CAST Ana Maria, a Latina teen - soprano Rodolfo, her older brother - tenor EEsteban,n M heris fatherPal a- bbaritoneras En Mis Palabras Abuela, her grandmotherSynopsi s- mezzo-soprano Synopsis SETTING Cast: Scene 1 - Ana Maria’s home AnaCast: Maria, a Latina teen – soprano Scene 2 - A few months later; a funeral home Rodolfo,Ana Maria, her a older Latina brother teen – - sopranotenor Esteban,Rodolfo, her fatherolder brother - baritone - tenor DURATION Esteban, her father - baritone Abuela,Esteban, herher grandmotherfather - baritone – mezzo-soprano Approximately 55 minutes Abuela, her grandmother – mezzo-soprano Setting: Scene 1 - Ana Maria’s home, SceneACC OMPAN2 – a fewIMEN monthsT later; a funeral home Setting:Duration: Scene approx. 1 - Ana55 minutesMaria’s home, ScenePiano 2 – and a few guitar months later; a funeral home Accompaniment:Duration: approx. piano 55 minutes and guitar CommissionedAccompaniment: by Central piano andCityCommissioned guitar Opera, 2005 by Central City Opera, 2005