Sage: A Mormon Love Story - Opera Synopsis, Exercises of Music

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LIBRETTO

RiDers

Of The

PurpLe Sage

The Opera, based on the novel by Zane Grey

Music by Craig Bohmler

Libretto by Steven Mark Kohn

Cast

(in order of appearance)

TULL (Baritone) A powerful Mormon Elder, early 40s, interested in marrying Jane.

JANE WITHERSTEEN (Mezzo-Soprano)-A faithful Mormon woman-early 30s, owner

of the sprawling Withersteen ranch and herd, as well as the spring which gives water

to the town of Short Creek.

BERN VENTERS (Tenor) A Gentile, mid 20s. Jane’s head ranch hand and good

friend.

LASSITER (Bass Baritone) A Hardened Texas gunfighter, late 30’s, on a quest to find

the grave of Milly Erne.

JUD (Tenor) A faithful ranch hand, in his 50s, working the Withersteen Ranch.

BESS (Soprano) A young woman, late teens, ward of Bishop Dyer.

BISHOP DYER (Bass) The leader of the local Mormon Church, in his 40s-50s, the most

powerful man in Short Creek.

SMALL MEN’S CHORUS Tull’s men and the Bishop’s parishioners.

Riders of the Purple Sage The Opera, based on the novel by Zane Grey Music by Craig Bohmler Libretto by Steven Mark Kohn LIBRETTO ACT ONE

ACT 1, SCENE 1

The year is 1870. The place is the town of Short Creek in the Utah territory, near the Arizona border. It is night at the sprawling ranch of Jane Withersteen. Tull, a Mormon Elder, enters with his men. TULL He’s around here somewhere. You! (gesturing to one of his men) Go around that side of the house! You, look over there! (gesturing to another man) The rest of you check the barn and stables! (gesturing to the remaining men) Bring him back here. I want him tied up. Tied up like an animal! JANE WITHERSTEEN (entering) Elder Tull, what do you mean by this? TULL There was a shooting fray in the village last night. Your man Venters was seen there. Where is he, Jane? Where is he? JANE Venters was with me the whole time. He never left the ranch. Besides, I took charge of his guns. You’re making this up, Elder Tull. TULL Why do you defend this worthless rider?

JANE

Worthless? He’s the best rider I’ve ever had. It shames me that my friendship with him has made him an enemy of my people. I owe him my gratitude. TULL I’m sick of seeing this fellow Venters around you. I might even get the idea that you love this man. JANE Maybe I do love him_. (Tull bristles)_ That poor fellow needs someone to love him. TULL Deny that! Take it back or it will not go well for him! (Offstage we hear men) VARIOUS MEN There he is! Grab him! Hold him down! Hold him! Rope him! Tie his hands! JANE What are you going to do? (Tull’s men enter dragging Venters. His hands are tied behind his back.) TULL Bring him over here. (they do) Venters, you will leave Short Creek at once and never return. VENTERS Why? TULL Because I order it. VENTERS I will not leave! You can tell your people what to do and Lord your power over them, but you will not tell me what I can and cannot do.

Jane Withersteen, You have not come to see your place as a Mormon woman. We’ve reasoned with you, been patient with you, waited while you had your fling. But my patience is at an end. You are not a young woman, Jane. You should have married long ago. You were meant to be my wife and give me this ranch. It’s what your father wanted and the Bishop as well. Your father, God rest his soul, was a good man. He raised you under Mormon law. He taught you respect for the faith and made clear your duty. And he left you wealth and power. Withersteen ranch is all yours, the buildings, the land, the cattle, the horses, Amber spring, all yours. But this power has gone to your head. It has filled you with dangerous thoughts no woman should have! It has turned you from our faith. Now, once and for all, come to your senses. You can have no further friendship with this man! Venters, will you take your whipping here, or out on the sage? JANE Please don’t whip him. VENTERS I’ll take it here. But by God, you better kill me or I will come for you and your praying churchmen if I live! TULL Hold him! (The men ready Venters for his whipping.) JANE (To Tull) In the name of our Father, where is your mercy? TULL (full of sinister righteousness) My mercy is justice. Hold him.

JANE ( to Tull ) Show me your mercy. Must I renounce my heart and marry you to save the life of my friend? TULL ( with Jane above ) You must come to know your duty and what is expected of you as a daughter of the Mormon Church. This power has gone to your head. It has filled you with dangerous thoughts no woman should have. It has turned you from our faith. TULL’S MEN (various with above) Give it to him! Make him pay! Give him what he deserves! Whip him! Whip him good! Hold him boys! Hold him tight! Give him what he deserves! Make him pay! VENTERS (with above) You better kill me now or I’ll come after you praying Mormons! Kill me now or I‘ll come after you! You better watch your backs! Watch your backs! (The men’s attention is taken by an offstage rider.) TULL’S MEN (various) Look! (pointing toward the hills) It’s a rider! It’s a stranger! That’s a fine horse he’s ridin’! TULL Do you know him? Does anyone know him? TULL’S MEN (various) Look! He’s wearin’ black! He’s a gunman! TULL Careful, fellers. Careful now ‘bout movin’ your hands. (Lassiter, the gunman enters…and slowly walks up to Jane.)

TULL

Medler, we got a different law here. It’s called Mormon law. Take care you don’t transgress it. LASSITER To hell with your law! I got my own law right here. (indicating his guns) Careful you don’t transgress it. Lessen you’re anxious to meet your God. (to Venters) Now you, young man, what have you done to be roped that way? VENTERS I done nothin’. I’ve offended these people by being her friend. LASSITER Ma’am, is that true? JANE Yes, it’s true. Venters is a good man and my best rider. He’s done nothing to deserve this. LASSITER Well, young man, you can’t be blamed for bein’ a friend to such a woman. No man could help that. So, what’re they gonna do about it? VENTERS They plan to whip me. And you know what that means out here. LASSITER I reckon I do. JANE (urgently) Stranger, please help us. LASSITER Ma’am, are you askin’ me to save him from your own people? JANE I’m asking. I’m praying. Oh, sir, I beg you, save him! LASSITER (to Tull) Mormon, untie him. Now.

The young man stays. And you and your men, you go! TULL He is my prisoner! You, go on your way now or- LASSITER Or what? Don’t threaten me. I don’t recognize you or your damn law! You gettin’ all high and mighty on me. I could put you all in your graves right now! Every one a’ you! Wouldn’t be so high and mighty then. TULL Who the hell are you? LASSITER I’m called Lassiter. (The men back off muttering “Lassiter”. They are afraid) But you can call me Mister Lassiter. TULL Jane Withersteen, this is not the end. This isn’t over! (Tull and his men exit) LASSITER (watching them leave) A lotta bluster, then the back end of a horse. I see it all the time. Let’s get these ropes off ya. (They untie Venters) VENTERS You saved my life. I will never forget this. My name’s Bern, Bern Venters. LASSITER Pleased to meet ya. Call me Lassiter. VENTERS Let me water your horse for you. LASSITER Thank ya, Bern. (Venters exits)

calms you down and makes a hard world easier to bear. But there’s another kind of religion. It gets inside you and fills you up with intolerance, and self-righteousness and a hatred that burns like fire! Now, some new preacher had come to town and sweet talked his way right in. I was workin’ up north and when I got back, she was gone! Gone with her daughter, a sweet little thing! He took them both, that preacher man! Took them away from me! I searched all over the west for her, through Texas, Arizona and on to Utah. The land and its people made me hard. They change a man. Scrape the goodness off ya. Leave your soul tired and tough. They made me the gunman! The man in black! Lassiter! Maybe the Mormons and me got somethin’ in common. Maybe we all got scraped raw by the world. Well, she died, Milly Erne, and part of me died when I heard. When the word came to me, it came with a name… a woman who Milly called friend. It was you, Jane Withersteen. You were there at the end. Will show me the grave of my dear Milly Erne? Will you show me my dear Milly’s grave? JANE Of course I will take you there. Tomorrow perhaps. LASSITER And Milly’s little girl. What became of her? JANE I don’t know, Lassiter. She just disappeared.

LASSITER

Do you know the man who took Milly from me? JANE Yes. But I fear what you may do if I tell. LASSITER It’s plain an’ right that you should fear. Cause I’m gonna find that man who dragged her to Hell. I’m gonna find that man and kill him! JANE I will not turn on my own people! Let me help you change, to see that there’s a better way. LASSITER Might be best to change yourself a little, ma’am. JANE (somewhat coldly) Have some water. See to your horse. We’ll eat in a moment. LASSITER Ma’am. (he exits) JANE Who is this man? My churchmen knew him when they heard his name. Lassiter… How powerful a name can be. When men with guns ride off, afraid for their lives. Who is this man? His eyes are cold, his skin is tough and tanned. And he’s got strength and pride. They’re a part of him, like his guns are a part of him. Who is this man? He may be a killer. But this killer saved my friend from a terrible fate. He is fearless and ruthless, but he showed more kindness than my own people have shown. There’s trouble coming. I know there’s trouble coming my way. If I can take his guns.

The Bishop is a good man. VENTERS Bring me my guns, Jane. I’ll check the herd, and then I’m leavin’. JANE You’re not going after Tull, are you? VENTERS No. Now, give me back my guns. (more tenderly) Jane, don’t look so. We both knew this time would come. You’re a wonderful woman. I never knew one so good. JANE Bern, I‘ll miss you. You’ve been my closest friend. The one I relied on. I hoped you’d always be there. VENTERS It never mattered to me where you came from. It never mattered to you that I wasn’t Mormon. That never mattered to me. That never mattered to you. And of all the men I’ve met out here, And of all the people I met out here, only you let me be who I am. only you let me be who I am. BOTH Sometimes it’s hard just trying to get by, wondering where in this world to belong, finding a friend to share the road, so you don’t make this journey alone. VENTERS Jane, don’t look so. We’ll meet again someday. JANE Maybe soon, maybe not, but God-willing that day will come. BOTH God-willing that day will come. (Venters extends his hand. Jane takes it.) JANE God be with you, Bern.

And don’t ride through Deception pass. Tull knows you go there. VENTERS I’ll move on as quickly as I can. JANE Bern, what do you know about Lassiter? VENTERS I only heard things. Some say he shot up a Mormon village. Some say he’s killed a lot a’ men. He’s what they call a gunman. Not the kind to mess with. But I saw him with my own eyes last night. And I saw him as my friend. And I know this, if any of Tull’s men had moved even a finger- JANE That’s enough! I’ll hear no more of guns and killing! I’m afraid. Afraid of what’s to come. (Lassiter enters, casually.) LASSITER Good mornin’ ma’am. Mornin’, Bern. JANE (somewhat coolly) If you gentlemen will excuse me… (Jane exits.) VENTERS Lassiter! Good to see you again! (they shake hands warmly) LASSITER I see you recovered from last night’s little party. VENTERS Thanks to you! You showed up outta nowhere! Scared that whole gang till they were shakin’ in their boots. It was a beautiful thing!

that child with all of her heart. LASSITER Milly loved with all of her heart. VENTERS Well, after a while, Milly began to question the Mormon ways. She didn’t want her daughter to be one of six or seven wives. So she quit the church. Well, they don’t let you do that out here! So, one day, Milly’s child just up and disappeared. Her little girl gone without a trace. The report said she was lost, but that child was taken! I know it! They stole her little girl! LASSITER Those bastards! VENTERS I can see Milly Erne. I can still see her now, transparent and pale. I can only imagine how tortured her soul was and how she was dyin’ from pain. LASSITER Was there no way to help her, no one to protect her from men who were born without hearts!? BOTH Demons from Hell screamin’ heavenly words and swingin’ a book like the hammer of God, slammin’ it down and crushin’ her soul! Crushin’ her spirit! Crushin’ her life! VENTERS So she drifted away on a cold, cloudy morn. And she’s buried somewhere in those hills. BOTH Resting peacefully Resting still. Buried somewhere in those hills.

LASSITER

That man. The preacher who did this to her. Bern, tell me his name. VENTERS I don’t know. These secrets are too well kept. LASSITER But Jane Withersteen knows. VENTERS And a red-hot iron couldn’t burn it outta her. LASSITER I won’t need a red-hot iron. And I will get that name! (Suddenly, Jane’s head ranch hand Jud, storms onto the stage, bloodied.) JUD Miss Jane! Miss Jane! Come quick! VENTERS Jud! What is it? JUD Get Miss Jane, Bern! Rustlers! They took the red herd! (Jane enters with Venter’s guns.) JANE Jud! What happened? Oh, my Lord, you’ve been shot! JUD It’s the red herd! Rustlers ran off with the herd! VENTERS It’s Tull’s men, I know it! If he can’t have you, he’ll drive you out, Jane! JUD Tull’s men or not, I can’t be sure,