Act Summaries

ACT SUMMARIES

1 – The Noble Child

Arkadi, the singer begins by narrating the story of the governor of Grusinia – Georgi Abashwili – a rich man with a wife, son, many horses and soldiers, and a large palace. Georgi and his family go to church on the morning of Easter Sunday where they meet beggars and petitioners on the gateway. The governor, however, does not listen to their grievances and his soldiers push the crowds back using whips.

The governor’s son, Michael, is brought out to be seen for the first time. He is driven in a decorated carriage and accompanied by his mother – Natella Abashwili and two doctors. Prince Kazbeki, the governor’s brother, comes to greet the governor and bows before Michael. Natella informs the prince that the governor intends to demolish slums in order to expand his garden. A messenger arrives from the capital with important news for the governor. The governor refuses to listen to him saying he does not wish to receive to military news before dinner.

Meanwhile, Grusha – a maid in the governor’s kitchen – is left behind to look for goose for the family’s banquet. She briefly meets with Simon Shashava – a young soldier, before she goes home to prepare dinner. However, shortly after the governor returns, the palace is surrounded by the Prince’s soldiers (Ironshirts) who arrest the governor before he could even talk to the architects or the messenger from the capital.

Later, the governor is executed and Natella is forced to run away to the capital. She, however, concentrates too much on which clothes to carry that she forgets her baby – Michael. Simon is ordered to escort Natella to the capital. Before going, he meets Grusha and gives her a silver chain that his mother had given him. Grusha promises to wait for Simon and to be faithful until he comes back.

After Natella leaves, Grusha and the other servants discover that Michael has been left behind. Despite the chaos, violence and terror in the city, Grusha stays with Michael throughout the night as other servants run away. In the morning, she leaves with the child and heads to the north.

Discussion points:

• Is it ironical that the governor is killed on Easter Sunday? Explain.
• “The Fat Prince is right to overthrow the governor.” Do you agree with this statement?
• Was it a mistake for the governor to ignore the messenger from the capital?

 

2. The Flight into the Northern Mountains

Grusha carries Michael in a sack and leaves the city for the north with the Fat prince’s Ironshirts in hot pursuit. She sings ‘the song of the four generals’ on her journey. When Michael is hungry, she tries to suckle him but she has not milk so she is forced to spend two piasters for a pitcher of milk, which amounts to her week’s pay.

Grusha continues until she reaches River Sirra, where she notices the homestead of a peasant couple who have milk. She decides to leave Michael at their doorstep and hides behind a tree to see what would happen. The peasant woman takes the child and wants to keep it but her husband refuses suggesting they give it to the local priest.

Convinced that Michael is in good hands, Grusha decides to go back but shortly comes across the Fat Prince’s Ironshirts. The Corporal, who is in charge questions Grusha about the child but she lies that she has not seen it and is going to meet Simon. Grusha fears that the Ironshirts will find Michael where she had left him and she quickly runs back to the farmhouse to warn the couple to hide the child.

The peasant woman agrees to hide Michael but when the corporal questions her, she becomes frightened and reveals everything. The corporal discovers where Michael is hidden but before he can get to him, Grusha grabs a piece of firewood and hits the corporal on the head until he collapses. She then grabs Michael and runs away.

Grusha continues on her journey to the north with the Ironshirts, who are on horse-back, close behind him. She reaches at the foot of Janga – Tau Glacier, where she decides to adopt. She removes his silken shirt and wraps him in rags.

Eventually, she arrives at the bridge on the glacier where she sings ‘the song of the rotten bridge’. One rope of the bridge is broken while the other is rotting making it lean dangerously on one side. She finds a group of merchants who are unable to cross. They warn her not to cross and one merchant woman even tells her to leave the baby behind. In the end, she manages to cross the bridge just as the Ironshirts arrive. On the opposite side of the bridge, she triumphantly sings ‘the song to the child’ as she laughs her way to freedom.

Discussion points

• Grusha makes many sacrifices in this act, can you identify them?
• Was it right for Grusha to use violence on the Corporal?

 

3. The Northern Mountains

Grusha is optimistic that she would be received warmly by her brother. When she arrives at Lavrenti’s home she is so weak, exhausted and sickly that she almost collapses. Lavrenti is afraid that his wife will not allow Grusha to stay because of her ‘fatherless’ child and so he makes up a story that Grusha is on her way to her husband’s home in the mountains.

Grusha lives in her brother’s home for six months while Lavrenti organizes to find a husband for her. Lavrenti finds a woman whose son is ‘dying’ and they agree to marry Grusha to Jussup. Jussup’s mother discovers that Grusha has a baby and demands to be given more money which Lavrenti does.

The wedding takes place in Jussup’s bedroom and is conducted by a drunken Monk whom Jussup’s mother hires cheaply. The Monk marries Grusha to Jussup but tries to inquire about the child. Jussup’s mother tells him to keep quiet and threatening to tell the neighbours that he had been seen drinking in a tavern.

The visitors are served with cakes while they talk among themselves. There is also entertainment by musicians who are invited by the Monk without the mother-in-law’s knowledge. Some of the visitors inform the rest that the war is over. Grusha drops a cake pan when she hears this news and kneels down to pray with the silver cross in her hands.

Jussup, the ‘dying’ man, surprises everyone by ‘recovering’ from his condition and waking up. He is immediately angered by the amount of food that her mother is giving the visitors. He orders all the visitors to leave and kicks them out. Grusha is shocked on realizing that she has a husband and yet she is waiting for Simon.

When the mother-in-law scrubs Jussup’s back, he claims that this is work for Grusha. Jussup does not appreciate Grusha and reprimands her at every opportunity he gets. He demands that she performs her wifely duties because buying a woman in town is expensive. As Grusha is stuck with Jussup, Michael grows very fast while the face of Simon grows dimmer in Grusha’s memory.

Michael is playing with other children while Grusha washes clothes along the river. The playing children enact the beheading of the Governor. Michael is told to play the role of the Governor but he refuses and insists on being the one to ‘chop the Governor’s head’. Grusha observes the children playing and then turns to see Simon who is standing on the other side of the river. Simon fears that he may have come back too late – especially after seeing a child’s cap on the ground. Grusha admits that there is a child but she denies being its mother.

Simon does not believe Grusha and he demands his silver cross back. Suddenly, the other children come back shouting that the soldiers have taken Michael away. Some soldiers come and inform her that they have been ordered to take the boy back to the city. She tries to beg them to leave him but they refuse. She eventually decides to follow them to the city though she is afraid of meeting Natella – Michael’s real mother.

Discussion points

• Is Simon right to demand his silver cross back?
• “Like father, like son.” Do you agree with this statement in relation to Jussup and his mother?

 

4. The Story of the Judge

The singer tells the story of Azdak the city judge and many of his unusual rulings. The Grand Duke pretends to be a beggar and seeks refuge in Azdak’s house. Azdak notices that the ‘beggar’ eats and licks cheese like a Grand Duke. He also notices that the fugitive’s hands are white and he accuses him of being a swindler. The fugitive offers to pay him a hundred thousand piasters not to be exposed but Azdak turns it down.

When a local policeman, Shauwa, comes to look for the Prince’s rabbit, Azdak tells him to arrest him for catching a man. He, however, does not expose the fugitive at this point. Later, though, he discovers that the man he has been hiding, and has allowed to escape, is the Grand Duke. He feels guilty and considers himself a traitor. He orders Shauwa to take him to the Capital – Nuka – for trial.

In Nuka, the city judge has been hanged. Azdak narrates to the Ironshirts the story of ‘Too Long a War’ and sings the ‘Song of Injustice in Persia’. The story and the song reflect the consequences of war in Persia and the injustice in Nuka and Grusinia. The Ironshirts unchain Azdak and they all start drinking.

The Fat Prince arrives with his nephew, Bizergan Kazbeki, whom he wants appointed as City Judge. Azdak proposes that the nephew be first tested on his knowledge of the law. In a play within a play, Azdak plays the part of the Grand Duke who is brought in front of the nephew for judgment. The Ironshirts are so impressed by Azdak that they choose him as Judge instead of the Fat Prince’s nephew.

The era of Azdak as judge is considered the ‘age of justice’. He makes controversial judgments mostly in favour of the poor. He never refers to the book of law and because of this he becomes popular among the poor but hated by the rich.

Later, it is revealed that the Grand Duke is back in power and the Fat Prince has been arrested and beheaded. Azdak is fearful that the rich, who he has denied justice, will want to get their revenge. Natella arrives with the adjutant to seek justice for her child who has been stolen by a servant. Azdak promises to have the servant beheaded but Natella does not believe him.

5. The Chalk Circle

Grusha is in the capital awaiting the arrival of the Judge who is going to determine her fate and that of Michael. She is accompanied by the Governor’s former cook who has come to offer her support. While waiting for the judge, Grusha notices the Corporal whom she had hit on the head and is afraid that he might remember her. The Corporal remembers the incident but cannot confront Grusha because he does not want it to be known that he wanted to kill the child. Simon, who is also present, offers to help Grusha by declaring that the child is his.

Natella is accompanied by her lawyers who assure her that the case will be judged by another judge because the Grand Duke was back and he was expected to appoint a new judge to replace Azdak. Shortly, Azdak is brought in badly beaten, bloodied and in chains. The Ironshirts manhandle him and remove the gown on his back. Suddenly, a messenger arrives with information that the Grand Duke has reappointed Azdak.

Azdak resumes his position as judge and takes the case of Grusha and Natella as his first assignment. Natella’s lawyers present her case first by emphasizing that blood is thicker than water and so Michael belongs to her biological mother. Grusha, on the other hand, explains all the troubles that she had undergone for Michael’s sake. One of Natella’s lawyers, unfortunately, reveals that the Governor’s estate was tied to Michael and that Natella could not access it without the child. This revelation throw into light the real reason why Natella wants Michael.

Judge Azdak orders Shauwa to draw a circle with a piece of chalk on the floor of the courtroom and then directs that the child be placed in the middle of the chalk circle. The two women are told to pull the child from the circle and that whoever wins would get the child. Natella’s lawyers argue that Grusha was likely to win because she is younger and as a maid – stronger. The judge ignores his argument and the two women start to pull. The women are given two chances and Natella wins both. Grusha is unable to pull for fear that she might tear the child whom she has spent a long time trying to protect.

The judge rules that the child be given to Grusha and she is advised to leave the city. Azdak also grants Grusha a divorce from her husband Jussup instead of the Old Couple that had wanted it. Natella is told to go and the Governor’s land which she wanted is given to the city to use as a play ground for children. The play ends with a party where everybody is invited and they help Judge Azdak to disappear from the scene.

Discussion points

• Do you agree with Azdak’s judgment in this case? Why or why not?
• What is the importance of having a lawyer in a court of law?