Sopranos Sharon Harms and Katherine Polit will be sharing the stage for the two Saturday performances of IU Opera Theater's Così fan tutte. Harms will sing the emotional roller coaster role of Fiordiligi, and Polit the foil, and sometimes comic relief, as the maid Despina.
Polit pointed out during our interview that director Tomer Zvulun made sure each of the cast members discovered the piece of their character that made them human.
Sometimes that's a little difficult with Despina because she's so "punct" and exact, and the same thing with Alfonzo. But there are some human moments especially in the finale of the show, which I think makes them very relatable.
And Harms tried to sum up the role of Fiordiligi.
Fiordiligi is one of those characters who starts out very uptight, very conscious of her position in society, and also very conscious of how she comes across to everyone around her, to her family, to her sister for sure... She starts out so uptight, and then she ends so human, and you see a side of her that I don't think is expected when you begin.
With all of the subterfuge, fiance-swapping (to steal a phrase from Music Director Arthur Fagen), and confusion, the cast spends a lot of time together. So how did the singers develop a since of relationship to each that would even begin to replicated a life time of experiences? A little alcohol, a little ice cream, and a lot of time together. Polit says the ladies took their assignment very seriously.
We had a Così fan tutte sleepover. A lots of Ben & Jerry's and wine. It was pretty amazing. And, yes, we're all closer now.