Twist of Treason
    Synopsis

  • SCENE 1: It is the fall of 1777. While Peggy Shippen is dressing for this night's ball, John Andre', her current love, bursts into her bedroom. He tells her bad news; they must be separated by the British withdrawal from Philadelphia. [The chorus/dancers are already at the ball and can be glimpsed in some way, perhaps almost ghostly, through windows/openings in the distance moving to the music of Peggy's first aria which sounds 18th century; they move silently at first] Peggy appears terribly upset by the news, but John calms her by telling her the separation is temporary. He leaves her to finish her preparations for the ball. She reveals to the audience (and the maid of course), that she only acted upset to maintain his interest in her. She really is looking for someone with more potential, but still does not wish to lose her influence in British affairs. [The chorus/dancers only join in Peggy's song at the end, adding some choral background to the vocal soaring she is doing. They could even dance over the front area of the set as Peggy nears the end of her final aria (coda) with exaggerated maneuvers and expressions to show disdain for the superficial social life Peggy is living. The maid sings with the chorus.]
  • SCENE 2: Six months have elapsed. Peggy, in the Shippen drawing room, sings of the approach of her ideal man, a born leader and hero of the Revolution, Benedict Arnold. She senses that he is about to propose marriage. The recently wounded Arnold enters and awkwardly makes his proposal. With proper caution and reluctance Peggy accepts and they pledge their love in a melodic duet.
  • SCENE 3: Ben and Peggy are married and now live in Philadelphia. Peggy has spent far too lavishly from Arnold's failing funds. Ben sings of his passion for Peggy but is deeply worried about the lack of money. Peggy enters, attempting the playful approach, but cannot penetrate Ben's gloom. Becoming impatient she tells him they must have more money at once. Ben tries to convince her that they must be careful with their money. Peggy immediately reminds him that they are already heavily in debt and their honor and therefore their marriage is at stake. Ben is at his wits' end when Peggy reveals that she knows a way out. She has a letter from John Andre'. Peggy has been forwarding trivial pieces of information about Colonial forces to Andre' for money from time to time. At this point the British feel they have the Arnolds' honor in their hands and they make the approach for a really significant move from Arnold. Apparently Arnold at some point made a reckless suggestion that for a very large sum of money he could put a major garrison into the hands of the British, and Peggy reported that to Andre'. It is suggested by General Clinton that Arnold betray West Point into his hands. Arnold is shocked at the reality, but Peggy simply sees it as a way out of their problems. She suggests an even bigger reward in that Ben should be made governor of all the Colonies. Arnold suddenly sees Peggy's vision of glory and power and they conclude the scene in a playful duet describing their beautiful future, perhaps even with a title (crown or coronet) for Ben. Governors typically have been Lords such as "Lord Baltimore," a Count or Baron so-and-so.
  • SCENE 4: The year is now 1780; John Andre' has just obtained Arnolds' agreement to betray West Point and is preparing to return to his ship, "The Vulture," anchored off West Point in the center of the Hudson. As they sing a trio (ironically, a musical canon), each singing of their expectations, real cannon fire is heard (a cannon interrupts a canon). The real cannon is fired by someone named Livingston. The trio rushes to the window only to see the "Vulture" sailing down the river, out of range of the cannon fire leaving Andre' stranded. Arnold immediately revises the escape plan by sending Andre' back to New York on horse back. While Ben is outside rearranging the escape it becomes obvious Peggy's feelings for John Andre' actually have not abated despite her marriage to Arnold. A fateful decision is made to cover Andre's British uniform with a cloak so he can penetrate the Colonial lines for his return to New York. Feeling that no harm has been done, they send Andre' on his way after a trio with echos of a grand waltz, [perhaps with the chorus/dancers audible and visible just to hint at Peggy's superficial willingness to risk all their lives just for money to give a ball]. It is seen that they do not have a very solid agreement as to what Ben's reward for this treachery should be. Nevertheless, they all sing of the good fortune they expect when Andre' makes it back to New York with his news.

    INTERMISSION

    SCENE 5: Arnold has learned that Andre' has been captured and their treachery is about to be revealed. Peggy suggests that Ben should steal a boat and float down the river until he reaches New York or finds the "Vulture." He leaves and Peggy throws a hysterical fit claiming that she has been abandoned by Ben; she claims the arriving soldiers are about to kill her child. The music becomes more dissonant as the tension increases. Her hysterical scene is convincing and the soldiers believe Peggy had nothing to do with the treason of Benedict Arnold.

  • SCENE 6: Andre' awaits execution. He hopes for a pardon or at least permission to die in front of a firing squad. Washington is without mercy as he remembers Nathan Hale's hanging by the British. Andre' bravely faces his death, even remembering to take two white scarves to bind his hands and eyes. He correctly assumes that the colonial executioner will be so rattled that he will have forgotten the proper needs of the moment. He goes to his death without mentioning Peggy's involvement.
  • SCENE 7: We witness the final preparations for Andre's execution. Two different factions in the crowd develop. There are those who have come for the thrill and show of the execution. Then there is the faction that feels this is the wrong thing to do. They would rather have Arnold die and they feel that Andre' is the wrong man for the hangman's noose. Meanwhile, the soldiers bring Andre' to the platform. While the crowd argues, the preparations are completed. Tension builds as the crowd shouts at Andre'. Some encourage him while others taunt him. The moment arrives and, in utter silence, Reuben Shumway pulls the pin on the trap at Captain Elisha Dwight's order. The crowd is horrified and frozen at the sight. Without exception both sides are shocked and depressed at what has been done. They slowly leave the stage in silence and empty as the coffin with Andre' is taken away. [The maid may sing a few words that John Andre' was true to Peggy in that he did not implicate her as he went to his death.]
  • SCENE 8: Twenty years have elapsed. Arnold and Peggy (with Peggy's faithful maid still standing by) argue at the foot of a monument erected with the last of Arnold's funds. Peggy has paid lavishly for a monument celebrating the heroic sacrifice of John Andre'. Peggy is still painfully aware that he went to his death without implicating her. Also, resentment over the loss of Andre' to save Benedict Arnold's neck has impelled Peggy to attempt to stop the criticism. She claims that their effort in raising the monument will help their social acceptance. While Peggy has always charmed the king, resentment against Ben has impeded her social success. Ben is bitter against Andre', claiming his stupidity caused the failure of their plans. An argument ensues which causes Ben to have a heart attack. [As a back drop to this, the Abbey chorus becomes a Greek Chorus of Furies doing ritual-like pointing gestures, and singing of the dark fate of Ben. The chorus might even remove their churchly robes and begin an exaggerated dance at the recapitulation of the ball music. Peggy seemingly does not see the bizarre chorus while Ben reacts strongly to them.] Peggy claims Ben is just play acting his illness. She wishes him dead, she says, and storms out, late to the king's reception. Ben struggles to his feet but collapses. [The maid stays behind to check Ben - she detects no heart beat and reacts during the E flat minor recap of Ben's aria.] The Abbey chorus sings a twist of Ben's great love aria from the third scene commenting on the tragic fate of Peggy's two loves. She rushes onward, an empty but still beautiful puppet of her superficial ambitions to give ever more expensive entertainments as Ben lies dead. The chorus finishes, staring at the still figure of Ben as the orchestra crashes the dissonant ending chords.

    End of Synopsis of
    Twist of Treason, an opera
    © 1976, 2004; music and libretto by Julian Livingston,
    All Rights Reserved