Daughter of the Regiment 101: Director’s Notes
Daughter of the Regiment explores themes of sacrifice, masculinity, and community. Chía Patiño, Director for our November production of Daughter of the Regiment, leans into these themes in her interpretation of the light-hearted tale of choosing love over duty. Explore her thoughts in the Director’s Notes below.
mas•cu•line: something that is masculine
a: a male person
b (1): a noun, pronoun, adjective, or inflectional form or class of the masculine gender
(2): the masculine gender
mas•cu•line: male; strong, virile
In recent years, if there is something we cannot deny, it is the number of changes that have shed light on old ideas and stereotypes, including those forced on us by education about gender. Myths. Any confused dictionary will fail as it tries to define genders. I grew up in a country where “men don’t cry,” and “macho-tough” is the way for a boy to become a “man.”
In this comedy, the famous Twenty-first Regiment finds and adopts an abandoned baby girl. This might lead us to believe that Marie will become a manly character. But why can’t we imagine a more feminine regiment? Amid war and loneliness, why wouldn’t an infant bring out—for lack of a better word—the mothers in the soldiers? Can a strong soldier also be a tender, caring father? Simple answer: yes!
And then a second obstacle: as fate would have it, Marie comes from a reputable family, and reputable women can only marry reputable men. Ancient fortunes ignored love and educated their descendants to accept their fates. The Berkenfelds will join the Krakenthorps, and society will be happy. All the fathers will try to save their daughter, but a strong aunt will stop them. Bloodlines will prevail.
And just then, the toughest character softens, and we learn that in her youth she was willing to sacrifice everything for love. The price was too high, and for years, she has accepted her fate as a form of cynical punishment. Sins must be cleansed. Yet she holds the key for change, and at the right moment, she takes the courageous step again: she will not sacrifice Marie to uphold old ideas. She will give the young girl the chance she was denied. This woman becomes the strongest character on stage.
sac•ri•fice a: to offer as a sacrifice
b: to suffer loss of, give up, renounce, injure, or destroy especially for an ideal, belief, or end
What are we willing to sacrifice for others? The beauty of this comedy is that every character is willing to change for the sake of the others.
Tonio was willing to sacrifice his life to help a stranger as she recklessly collected flowers in the mountains. While saving the girl from falling to her death, Tonio fell in love. In a time of division and nationalism, this boy and girl will also sacrifice their nationalities; after all, what is the point of upholding tradition if it means sacrificing the gifts that love brings?
The Twenty-first Regiment exchanged their hard-shell hearts for tenderness. This was a good trade, not a sacrifice: they are lovely and proud fathers. Marie was willing to sacrifice her love to help her mother. That sacrifice finally shook the Marquise, and old expectations crumbled, as they should. Because once concepts prove to be archaic, dictionaries should stop defining them. In times of change, it’s not the fittest that survive, but those who understand the change and join the flow of the river. Far behind we will spot a small island where the Duchess will strive for vengeance, and Hortensius will uphold his wine…
Notes written by Chía Patiño, Stage Director for Opera Colorado’s 2024 production of Daughter of the Regiment.