Program Notes

Title: Thompson's Luck

Genre: Chamber opera

Instrumentation:

Characters: Lydia Thompson (soprano), Steve Thompson (bass), Waterman Holmes (baritone), Hiram Pratt (tenor)

Libretto: Michael Scherperel based on the play of the same name by Harry Greenwood Grover

Duration: ca 65' (27', 13', 11', 14')

Description: This one-act opera takes place in four continuous scenes. A split set is recommended depicting the Thompson's dilapidated farmhouse kitchen and Mr. Thompson's barren money-lending office. The title, Thompson's Luck, refers to local legend that the Thompson family is cursed and that each member is struck down by one single, disastrous stroke of ill fortune. Steve Thompson brags that he is immune from this but events prove his confidence to be tragically ill-founded.

Synopsis: Steve Thompson, a curmudgeonly New Englander, has taken his misshapen housekeeper as his wife, thereby gaining free housekeeping, and they have an infant son. In scene 1, Lydia Thompson bemoans her foolishness in marrying Steve and promises to protect her ailing child from him. She has asked Thompson to get medicine for the child but he has stubbornly refused to do so claiming that he bought medicine before and that the child will be all right. In spite of an encroaching blizzard, Thompson sets off to town with reluctant neighbor Waterman Holmes. Scene 2 finds another neighbor, Hiram Pratt, who is also a customer, or victim, of Thompson's money-lending practices, outside the door of Thompson's office in town. Pratt's large and poor family has been stricken with numerous woes and Pratt hopes for a reprieve from Thompson. Entering the office, he finds Thompson and Holmes who seem to be enjoying themselves as Thompson brags on his money-lending skills. Pratt puts his request forward but is rudely denied. While attempting to make a partial payment, he drops a dollar unseen and Thompson quickly hides it. Pratt then sets off to buy medicine for Lydia's child as she had begged him to do. In scene 3, Lydia agitatedly awaits the arrival of Pratt but when he returns, he confesses that he lost her dollar and could not buy the precious medicine. Scene 4 finds Thompson and Holmes returning the following morning having been trapped in town by the blizzard. They find a curiously quiet Lydia. In the ensuing conversation, it becomes clear to all that the baby has died and that the dollar Thompson snatched from Pratt had been intended for the child's medicine.

Items: The download includes one full score. PLEASE DO NOT COPY. If you are interested in the string parts, please contact me. PDF files are formatted for 8½x11 in multiples of four pages with blank pages embedded as needed making the documents suitable for booklet printing on 11x17.

Program Notes