Old House Under the Elms
Operatic adaptation of Desire Under the Elms
Roberts Theatre, Grinnell College
September 5-7, 2002

Producer: China Zhengzhou Qu Opera Company
Director: Xie Kang     Music: Pan Yongchang
Designer: Zhang Wei     Script: Meng Hua
Consulting Director: Sandy Moffett
 

Simeon Cabot (Ke Hu) - Yang Weilong Peter Cabot (Ke Bao) - Liu Junqin Eben Cabot (Ke Long) - Wang Haisheng Ephraim Cabot (Ke Tai) - Zhang Shengke Abbie Putnam (Aibi) - Huang Chunhua Sheriff - Liu Zixue

Acts I-IV     Acts V-VI V  In Front of the House, 10 Months Later i - Old Cabot throws a party for the birth of "his" son. The villagers go along but make fun of him behind his back. VI  Another Part of the Estate i - Eben and Cabot meet. Cabot berates Eben for trying to seduce Abbie, then tells him that they "conceived" a son so he could be the heir. Eben feels Abbie has betrayed him. They fight and Abbie tries to stop them. Eben, convinced that he has been used, curses Abbie and denies his love. She tells Eben that the baby is his son and he says he wishes the baby was dead and leaves. Amid the sounds of the party Abbie sings of her intention to kill the child. ii - Eben returns to say a final goodbye to the baby but it is too late. Abbie confesses to the murder and Eben leaves in fury. iii - Cabot enters, having heard of the murder and Abbie tells him that it is Eben's child. iv - Eben returns with the sheriff and his deputies. He says that he must share the blame and demands that he be chained as well. The lovers are led off to their execution leaving the old man defeated and alone.