Riverofwomen

SYNOPSIS

Opera Cultura

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR HECTOR ARMIENTA

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Paula is washing clothes at the river with her daughter, Elisa. Both Paula and Elisa
have recently moved into a small shack behind a
large house owned by Paula’s mother, Cayetana, and her mother’s second
husband, Cipriano. With them at the river is Marta. Elisa
tells Marta about her dream-like fascination with the river, which she calls “magical.”

Marta tells her she must be a River Woman and begins to recount the story of the
spirit woman La Llorona/the Weeping Woman. Marta soon leaves. As Paula and
Elisa continue their work,
Paula tells Elisa she has never liked the kind of life borne by women of the river and
that perhaps one day, they will leave.

Cayetana, Paula’s mother, comes down from the hill to see if the laundry is finished.
She tells Paula that her suitor Don Blas has arrived. Though Paula is reluctant to
see him, she
leaves with Cayetana to meet him. Elisa is left to finish the laundry. Now alone,
Elisa speaks to the river and confesses an ominous recurring dream in which a
faceless woman appears and calls to her.

Meanwhile, Don Blas and Cipriano are in the living room of the house. Cipriano and
Don Blas, who earn their living by ferrying people across the river, have learned that
their employer is selling his boat. Cipriano discovers that Don Blas would be entitled
to an
inheritance if he were married and attempts to convince Don Blas that they should
buy the boat together. Cipriano, however, doesn’t have his half of the required
capital. Cayetana and Paula enter. Cipriano suggests to his wife that they leave so
that Paula and Blas can be alone to talk. They exit.

Paula tells Don Blas she has not yet decided if she will accept his proposal of
marriage. Feeling disheartened, he prepares to leave,
but Paula suggests that he stay. Don Blas mentions he saw a swan at the river,
which reminded him of her. At first, the swan had
fought against the river current but was soon able to free itself and fly. While Don
Blas speaks, Paula envisions herself as the swan.
Thinking it would impress her, he tells her he will catch it for her, clip its wings and
keep it on the boat that he and Cipriano now plan to buy. When Paula reminds him
of his promise to take
her away from the river once they marry, Don Blas insists that he must buy the boat
in order to provide for his new family. Paula becomes distant, and he decides to
leave, promising to
return the next day. As he leaves, Elisa enters.

Paula tells Elisa she has decided they must secretly leave tomorrow and asks Elisa to
purchase two train tickets for the journey. Elisa tries to get her mother to change
her mind, but
Paula is resolved to leave.   Paula goes to a cabinet, where she has hidden her
money inside a flower pot, and gives Elisa money to
buy the tickets. They leave. Cayetana, who has been hiding in the shadows, goes
to the same cabinet and takes the rest of the money.

                                          ACT TWO

It is the next day. Paula is inside her small, dirtfloor shack. She is making final
preparations to leave. Elisa enters with a pail of water, which she has brought to
sprinkle down the dirt floor. Elisa does not wish to leave. Paula tries to explain to
her that they will have a brighter future elsewhere. Elisa remains cold and removed.
Paula decides to retrieve the rest of the money and instructs Elisa to wash up
before they leave. As Paula enters the living room of the main house, Elisa hears the
voice of the woman from her dreams coming from the river. She leaves the shack.
Meanwhile, Paula searches for the flower pot, which is missing.

Cayetana enters and admits to having taken it. She tells Paula she has no other
choice but to marry Don Blas. When Paula refuses,
Cayetana reminds her that without any money, she has no other choice. The men
enter and are jubilant. Cayetana has given them Paula’s money, telling them it was
money from her great grandmother, which she recently found after cleaning a
flowerpot. With the money, the men have purchased their employer’s boat. When
Don Blas asks Paula about his marriage proposal, Paula realizes that her fate is sealed.
She reluctantly consents to
marry him, hoping that by making this sacrifice, Elisa will find opportunities unavailable
to Paula. Meanwhile, Elisa has approached the river, where La Llorona awaits her. La
Llorona was
Marta. Paula goes to fetch her daughter to tell her the news. When she reaches
the shack, she can not find her.

She looks out the window and sees Elisa just as Elisa reaches the arms of La Llorona.
Paula screams. La Llorona and Elisa embrace.

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SYNOPSIS
ACT ONE

Photos from 2008 production,
directed by Michael Mohammed.
Featured performers are Kathleen
Sisco, Sepideh Moafi, Carla Pantoja,
Sara Couden, Trey Costerisan, and
Paul Murray.