|
Synopsis |
Act I
In Red Hook, Brooklyn, in the 1950’s the lawyer Alfieri
leads a chorus of neighborhood people in telling the story
of dockworker Eddie Carbone.
Eddie has arranged for two of his wife Beatrice’s cousins
from Italy to come to America illegally, as “submarines”,
and work on the docks. Beatrice’s niece Catherine lives with
them; Eddie is overprotective, complaining about her
clothes, and only reluctantly agrees to let her take a job
as a stenographer.
The submarines arrive, Marco and Rodolpho. Marco has a wife
and children in Italy, but Rodolpho is singe, attractive,
and “practically blond”; Catherine is immediately attracted
to him. Rodolpho tells of his plans to return to Italy with
enough money to buy a motorcycle to deliver messages on, and
explains that he once got a job singing in a restaurant.
When he starts to sing, Eddie warns him to keep a low
profile, but Catherine is clearly impressed.
As the weeks pass, Catherine and Rodolpho are spending more
time together, and Eddie complains to Beatrice that Rodolpho
only wants to marry her so he can be a citizen. But Beatrice
has a different problem; Eddie has been neglecting her for
months. Eddie confronts Catherine when she gets home, but
Beatrice comforts her, warning her that Eddie’s attitude may
be jealousy.
Eddie goes to Alfieri to see if the law can help him stop
the marriage, claiming that he thinks Rodolpho is gay. But
Alfieri warns Eddie that he has to let Catherine go, telling
him that the only way to stop the wedding would be to report
Rodolpho to Immigration, which the neighborhood would see as
a betrayal.
Instead, Eddie taunts Rodolpho with his effeminate ways, and
under the pretense of teaching him to box, knocks him down.
Marco, annoyed with Eddie, challenges him to a contest to
strength and wins, as Rodolpho dances with Catherine.
Act II
While Beatrice is Christmas shopping and Eddie and Marco are
at work, Catherine and Rodolpho are left alone in the
apartment. Rodolpho reassures her that he loves her, but
refuses to return to Italy with her to starve. He tells her
she has to leave Eddie’s house.
When Eddie returns, drunk, and sees the two of them coming
out of the bedroom, he tries to throw Rodolpho out. When
Catherine tries to stop him, he grabs her and kisses her
passionately; when Rodolpho intervenes, Eddie kisses him as
well, claiming that “he likes it”.
Later, Eddie tells the lawyer that he’s sure now that
Rodolpho is gay. Alfieri warns Eddie of what will happen if
he turns the submarines in to Immigration, but he still
makes the phone call. When he learns that two more
submarines have arrived, he tries to get them all out, but
Immigration arrives before any of them can escape. As he is
taken away, Marco spits in Eddie’s face, accusing him in
front of the crowd. Eddie claims to be innocent, but his
neighbors turn away and refuse to speak to him.
In prison, Marco is angry that the law has no punishment for
Eddie, who is sending him back to poverty and dooming his
children to die of hunger.
Beatrice tries to convince Eddie to come to Catherine and
Rodolpho’s wedding, but he refuses, until Marco apologizes
for accusing him. Rodolpho tells Eddie that Marco is out of
prison and looking for Eddie, but Eddie refuses to leave.
Beatrice tries to tell Eddie that w hat he wants is not
Marco’s apology, but Catherine, but it is too late; Marco
has arrived. The two men fight, and when Eddie pulls a
knife, Marco forces it back into Eddie’s chest. As he dies
in Beatrice’s arms, Alfieri and the chorus reflect on the
uselessness and inevitability of Eddie’s downfall. |
|
|
Enjoy the pre-concert informance
one hour before each performance
February 4, 5: Composer William Bolcom
February 11, 12: Stage Director Vincent Liotta
Musical Arts
Center Lobby, 7:00 p.m. |
|
|
Curtain time for IU Opera
Theater is promptly at 8 p.m., by which time all
opera goers should be in their seats.
Latecomers
will be seated at
the discretion of the management. Thank you for
your cooperation. |
|
|
|
 |
