Synopsis
Cast of Characters
Isabella, painter, Duffy and Iris' daughter (soprano)
Aaron, Luker's elder son (tenor)
Giatto, Henry’s chief captain (baritone)
Duffy, valley peace officer, Isabella's father (baritone)
Iris, Isabella’s mother (contralto)
Luker, shopkeeper, father of Aaron and Maddox (baritone)
Maddox, Luker's younger son and captain in Henry's kingdom (tenor)
Parissa, Isabella’s rival (mezzo-soprano)
Haskel, former teacher (tenor)
The Harbinger, the first victim of Henry’s kingdom (baritone)
The Harbinger’s Mother (contralto)
The Harbinger’s Father (baritone)
Chorus
Synopsis
ACT I
Scene 1
A storm rages. A mysterious young man—a harbinger of what will soon befall the valley—returns to his parents’ home hoping to find reconciliation.
Scene 2
Parissa, Isabella’s rival, espouses her philosophy about seeking pleasure without consequences. Giatto, who has been secretly stalking the valley, searches the crowd for his next paramour, leaving behind a book that will foretell Isabella’s fate. Parissa tries, unsuccessfully, to seduce Isabella’s love, Aaron. Aaron gives Isabella a ninth ring for her hands. Isabella reads from Giatto’s book about how she’s captured Aaron’s heart. Aaron promises to meet Isabella at the canal.
Scene 3
Isabella and Aaron meet at the canal, where they find an emaciated body beneath the bridge. Isabella’s father, Duffy, the local peace officer, arrives on the scene and sends the couple away while he investigates what’s transpired. Only after Isabella and Aaron leave does it become clear Duffy knows full well what killed this man. Parissa kisses Aaron in front of Isabella’s home to toy with his affections in front of Isabella. Isabella retreats into her parents’ home.
Scene 4
Isabella sits before her easel and begins to paint with her own blood. Soon, her mother, Iris—who saw Parissa’s play for Aaron—comforts her daughter and urges her to forgive him.
Scene 5
Aaron and Isabella meet at a nearby party. As they seek to reconcile, the mysterious Giatto interrupts, belittling Aaron, who then challenges Giatto to a wrestling match to decide who is the better of the two men. With Isabella fetching Aaron a drink, she does not witness Giatto pulling a knife and nearly killing Aaron, who then throws Giatto out of the home. Isabella returns with Aaron’s drink, but is disappointed when he won’t leave the party, as he had promised. Parissa, having seen all that transpired at the party, pretends to befriend Isabella.
Scene 6
Parissa helps Giatto seduce her rival, thus clearing the way for Parissa to win over Aaron. While continuing to ply Isabella with drinks, Giatto invents a game to slowly disrobe Isabella until she is finally too disoriented to resist him.
ACT II
Prelude
A sunrise greets the sleepy village. The villagers slumber in peace, unaware their world has changed.
Scene 1
Only a handful of inhabitants know that Isabella is missing--among them Aaron and Duffy, who have been searching for her. Aaron points out a cross of even sides on Duffy’s door—the same cross found on the dead man at the canal. Suddenly, Duffy becomes worried as Aaron leaves to continue his search. Duffy confesses to Aaron’s father, Luker, that he has knowingly let a secret, despotic kingdom grow in their midst—a kingdom that took in the “troublesome” young men of the valley for whom Duffy has nothing but contempt. Duffy is now concerned that his own daughter may have been drawn into this kingdom, putting her life at risk. Parissa returns to the valley from the previous night’s party and explains to those gathered at Luker’s shop that Isabella was willingly seduced by Giatto, confirming Duffy’s worst fears. Luker, recognizing that his other son, Maddox, is caught up in this unfolding drama, explains to him how he has always known his son was “different.” He assures him, no matter what Maddox now faces, they will face it together as a father and son should.
Scene 2
Isabella wakes inside the kingdom of an unseen despot named Henry IV. Giatto tells Isabella how he brought her into the kingdom—using the same words Isabella read before about how she won Aaron’s love—only now the words carry a sinister tone. Giatto explains how Henry’s kingdom works, weakening its captives to make its walls grow stronger. When Isabella says her father will fight to free her, Giatto informs her that her father has known about the kingdom all along and did nothing about it. Giatto offers Isabella immortality if she will take a blood oath to join him as a captain of Henry’s kingdom, which she refuses. After she leaves Giatto, her father calls out to her from across a vast chasm that separates the kingdom from the rest of the valley. Duffy confesses his guilt and departs in tears. Aaron and Isabella call across the chasm to each other, vowing to preserve their love for each other. After Aaron departs, Isabella meets Haskel, who had warned her about Giatto. Isabella gives away the first of her rings to Haskel, and together they form the start of the resistance to bring down Henry’s kingdom.
Scene 3
After the passage of time, Duffy sits alone in his dirty kitchen. Not only has Isabella been taken in, but through the contaminated stream that runs through the valley, so has his wife, Iris. Duffy stands before one of Isabella’s paintings, which, in his madness, becomes animated. He watches in horror as Isabella and Iris look at him with disappointment and walk off the canvas. Overcome, Duffy goes to his room and throws himself on his bed. The leaky roof he never fixed continues to drip. The spirits of young men lost to the kingdom confront Duffy. He begs for pity, but receives none for the lack of pity he showed when he had the chance. As Duffy struggles to pray to God for mercy, the roof of his neglected room falls in and crushes him.
Scene 4
On her way to see her dying mother, Isabella meets Haskel, and informs him about a secret passage in the kingdom. But before he can see it, Giatto and his men take hold of Haskel. Giatto demands that Isabella take Aaron into the kingdom or he will mark Haskel as an aide of the kingdom—cutting a cross into his ankle—thus marking him for a speedy death. Haskel urges her to refuse, choosing love and freedom over hatred and oppression. She stays true to her pledge to Haskel to fight against the kingdom and allows Haskel to be marked rather than compromise her love for Aaron. After Haskel limps off, Isabella goes to her mother’s cell and comforts Iris as she dies, putting the last of her rings on her mother’s hand.
ACT III
Prelude
Scene 1
Haskel stumbles down the secret passage and stands before the arch on which the entire kingdom rests. He seeks to break the arch’s keystone, but he is too weak. Sensing the threat to the kingdom, Henry dispatches his captains to capture Haskel, but before they can find him, Haskel entrusts the secret of the kingdom’s weakness with Maddox, himself a trusted captain of the kingdom. Haskel demands Maddox kill him so Giatto and the others will think that Haskel’s secret died with him.
Scene 2
Aaron proposes to Isabella across the chasm, while Giatto convinces Parissa to draw Aaron into the kingdom; if she does, he assures her that not only will he protect Parissa from Henry’s wrath, but that Aaron will be hers and Isabella will be vanquished.
Scene 3
Not confident in Parissa’s success in her mission, Giatto enlists Maddox—who Giatto senses is jealous of his brother, Aaron—to draw him into the kingdom if Parissa fails in her mission.
Scene 4
Luker shares with Aaron how Maddox has spared the life of his brother by intercepting Parissa, who has now been put to death. And while the other captains of Henry’s kingdom now search for Maddox—whom Luker has safely hidden away—Aaron must use Maddox’s uniform to secretly enter the kingdom and use the knowledge they’ve learned to destroy the arch (and therefore the kingdom) and free all those inside. After Aaron departs on his mission, Luker tries to coax Maddox out of his hiding place in the large wardrobe in Luker’s shop. But when there is no response, Luker fears the worst, even as he hopes that his son has been spared. Soon he realizes, Henry’s men have found his son in the closet and have taken his life.
Scene 5
Dressed in Maddox’s uniform, Aaron enters the kingdom. He finds Isabella, who is in bed, racked with fever. He puts a wedding band on her ring finger, and a matching one on his own, then slips out to finish his mission. But Isabella rises from her bed and worries that either she is in a nightmare or, worse, that Aaron, in his uniform and in the kingdom, has become a servant of Henry. Aaron explains his plan to bring down the kingdom and urges Isabella to return to her cell, which she refuses to do. As Aaron strikes the keystone, the stone will not break. Isabella sees the hole in the center of the stone and urges Aaron to unite their wedding bands to fill the hole so it can be destroyed. Her plan works and the arch and the kingdom begin to collapse. Giatto, trapped under some of the debris, begs for help and forgiveness. While Aaron wants to send him to his fate, Isabella demands he be forgiven because he needs forgiveness more than anyone. True to his form, Giatto tries to clutch Aaron and bring them both to their ruin, but Aaron breaks free and Giatto is killed. All around them, captives of the kingdom fear their own destruction as the walls collapse. But when all seems lost in the silence of the aftermath, a single shaft of light cuts across the courtyard of the kingdom. Slowly, light is restored and the captives now recognize that what has just transpired is not their destruction, but their salvation. The kingdom is no more. Their health is restored, the walls have disappeared, and their loved ones from the valley are streaming up to them to be reunited with those they once feared were lost forever. Isabella and Aaron place their rings on each other’s fingers and join with the villagers in the triumphant conclusion united in love, freedom and forgiveness.
Isabella, painter, Duffy and Iris' daughter (soprano)
Aaron, Luker's elder son (tenor)
Giatto, Henry’s chief captain (baritone)
Duffy, valley peace officer, Isabella's father (baritone)
Iris, Isabella’s mother (contralto)
Luker, shopkeeper, father of Aaron and Maddox (baritone)
Maddox, Luker's younger son and captain in Henry's kingdom (tenor)
Parissa, Isabella’s rival (mezzo-soprano)
Haskel, former teacher (tenor)
The Harbinger, the first victim of Henry’s kingdom (baritone)
The Harbinger’s Mother (contralto)
The Harbinger’s Father (baritone)
Chorus
Synopsis
ACT I
Scene 1
A storm rages. A mysterious young man—a harbinger of what will soon befall the valley—returns to his parents’ home hoping to find reconciliation.
Scene 2
Parissa, Isabella’s rival, espouses her philosophy about seeking pleasure without consequences. Giatto, who has been secretly stalking the valley, searches the crowd for his next paramour, leaving behind a book that will foretell Isabella’s fate. Parissa tries, unsuccessfully, to seduce Isabella’s love, Aaron. Aaron gives Isabella a ninth ring for her hands. Isabella reads from Giatto’s book about how she’s captured Aaron’s heart. Aaron promises to meet Isabella at the canal.
Scene 3
Isabella and Aaron meet at the canal, where they find an emaciated body beneath the bridge. Isabella’s father, Duffy, the local peace officer, arrives on the scene and sends the couple away while he investigates what’s transpired. Only after Isabella and Aaron leave does it become clear Duffy knows full well what killed this man. Parissa kisses Aaron in front of Isabella’s home to toy with his affections in front of Isabella. Isabella retreats into her parents’ home.
Scene 4
Isabella sits before her easel and begins to paint with her own blood. Soon, her mother, Iris—who saw Parissa’s play for Aaron—comforts her daughter and urges her to forgive him.
Scene 5
Aaron and Isabella meet at a nearby party. As they seek to reconcile, the mysterious Giatto interrupts, belittling Aaron, who then challenges Giatto to a wrestling match to decide who is the better of the two men. With Isabella fetching Aaron a drink, she does not witness Giatto pulling a knife and nearly killing Aaron, who then throws Giatto out of the home. Isabella returns with Aaron’s drink, but is disappointed when he won’t leave the party, as he had promised. Parissa, having seen all that transpired at the party, pretends to befriend Isabella.
Scene 6
Parissa helps Giatto seduce her rival, thus clearing the way for Parissa to win over Aaron. While continuing to ply Isabella with drinks, Giatto invents a game to slowly disrobe Isabella until she is finally too disoriented to resist him.
ACT II
Prelude
A sunrise greets the sleepy village. The villagers slumber in peace, unaware their world has changed.
Scene 1
Only a handful of inhabitants know that Isabella is missing--among them Aaron and Duffy, who have been searching for her. Aaron points out a cross of even sides on Duffy’s door—the same cross found on the dead man at the canal. Suddenly, Duffy becomes worried as Aaron leaves to continue his search. Duffy confesses to Aaron’s father, Luker, that he has knowingly let a secret, despotic kingdom grow in their midst—a kingdom that took in the “troublesome” young men of the valley for whom Duffy has nothing but contempt. Duffy is now concerned that his own daughter may have been drawn into this kingdom, putting her life at risk. Parissa returns to the valley from the previous night’s party and explains to those gathered at Luker’s shop that Isabella was willingly seduced by Giatto, confirming Duffy’s worst fears. Luker, recognizing that his other son, Maddox, is caught up in this unfolding drama, explains to him how he has always known his son was “different.” He assures him, no matter what Maddox now faces, they will face it together as a father and son should.
Scene 2
Isabella wakes inside the kingdom of an unseen despot named Henry IV. Giatto tells Isabella how he brought her into the kingdom—using the same words Isabella read before about how she won Aaron’s love—only now the words carry a sinister tone. Giatto explains how Henry’s kingdom works, weakening its captives to make its walls grow stronger. When Isabella says her father will fight to free her, Giatto informs her that her father has known about the kingdom all along and did nothing about it. Giatto offers Isabella immortality if she will take a blood oath to join him as a captain of Henry’s kingdom, which she refuses. After she leaves Giatto, her father calls out to her from across a vast chasm that separates the kingdom from the rest of the valley. Duffy confesses his guilt and departs in tears. Aaron and Isabella call across the chasm to each other, vowing to preserve their love for each other. After Aaron departs, Isabella meets Haskel, who had warned her about Giatto. Isabella gives away the first of her rings to Haskel, and together they form the start of the resistance to bring down Henry’s kingdom.
Scene 3
After the passage of time, Duffy sits alone in his dirty kitchen. Not only has Isabella been taken in, but through the contaminated stream that runs through the valley, so has his wife, Iris. Duffy stands before one of Isabella’s paintings, which, in his madness, becomes animated. He watches in horror as Isabella and Iris look at him with disappointment and walk off the canvas. Overcome, Duffy goes to his room and throws himself on his bed. The leaky roof he never fixed continues to drip. The spirits of young men lost to the kingdom confront Duffy. He begs for pity, but receives none for the lack of pity he showed when he had the chance. As Duffy struggles to pray to God for mercy, the roof of his neglected room falls in and crushes him.
Scene 4
On her way to see her dying mother, Isabella meets Haskel, and informs him about a secret passage in the kingdom. But before he can see it, Giatto and his men take hold of Haskel. Giatto demands that Isabella take Aaron into the kingdom or he will mark Haskel as an aide of the kingdom—cutting a cross into his ankle—thus marking him for a speedy death. Haskel urges her to refuse, choosing love and freedom over hatred and oppression. She stays true to her pledge to Haskel to fight against the kingdom and allows Haskel to be marked rather than compromise her love for Aaron. After Haskel limps off, Isabella goes to her mother’s cell and comforts Iris as she dies, putting the last of her rings on her mother’s hand.
ACT III
Prelude
Scene 1
Haskel stumbles down the secret passage and stands before the arch on which the entire kingdom rests. He seeks to break the arch’s keystone, but he is too weak. Sensing the threat to the kingdom, Henry dispatches his captains to capture Haskel, but before they can find him, Haskel entrusts the secret of the kingdom’s weakness with Maddox, himself a trusted captain of the kingdom. Haskel demands Maddox kill him so Giatto and the others will think that Haskel’s secret died with him.
Scene 2
Aaron proposes to Isabella across the chasm, while Giatto convinces Parissa to draw Aaron into the kingdom; if she does, he assures her that not only will he protect Parissa from Henry’s wrath, but that Aaron will be hers and Isabella will be vanquished.
Scene 3
Not confident in Parissa’s success in her mission, Giatto enlists Maddox—who Giatto senses is jealous of his brother, Aaron—to draw him into the kingdom if Parissa fails in her mission.
Scene 4
Luker shares with Aaron how Maddox has spared the life of his brother by intercepting Parissa, who has now been put to death. And while the other captains of Henry’s kingdom now search for Maddox—whom Luker has safely hidden away—Aaron must use Maddox’s uniform to secretly enter the kingdom and use the knowledge they’ve learned to destroy the arch (and therefore the kingdom) and free all those inside. After Aaron departs on his mission, Luker tries to coax Maddox out of his hiding place in the large wardrobe in Luker’s shop. But when there is no response, Luker fears the worst, even as he hopes that his son has been spared. Soon he realizes, Henry’s men have found his son in the closet and have taken his life.
Scene 5
Dressed in Maddox’s uniform, Aaron enters the kingdom. He finds Isabella, who is in bed, racked with fever. He puts a wedding band on her ring finger, and a matching one on his own, then slips out to finish his mission. But Isabella rises from her bed and worries that either she is in a nightmare or, worse, that Aaron, in his uniform and in the kingdom, has become a servant of Henry. Aaron explains his plan to bring down the kingdom and urges Isabella to return to her cell, which she refuses to do. As Aaron strikes the keystone, the stone will not break. Isabella sees the hole in the center of the stone and urges Aaron to unite their wedding bands to fill the hole so it can be destroyed. Her plan works and the arch and the kingdom begin to collapse. Giatto, trapped under some of the debris, begs for help and forgiveness. While Aaron wants to send him to his fate, Isabella demands he be forgiven because he needs forgiveness more than anyone. True to his form, Giatto tries to clutch Aaron and bring them both to their ruin, but Aaron breaks free and Giatto is killed. All around them, captives of the kingdom fear their own destruction as the walls collapse. But when all seems lost in the silence of the aftermath, a single shaft of light cuts across the courtyard of the kingdom. Slowly, light is restored and the captives now recognize that what has just transpired is not their destruction, but their salvation. The kingdom is no more. Their health is restored, the walls have disappeared, and their loved ones from the valley are streaming up to them to be reunited with those they once feared were lost forever. Isabella and Aaron place their rings on each other’s fingers and join with the villagers in the triumphant conclusion united in love, freedom and forgiveness.