Overview
Synopsis
In the American heartland during the Great Depression, the provincial existence of a rural farming family hinges upon the high school graduation of the eldest daughter, Laurie Moss. However, on the eve of her graduation, Laurie finds herself questioning her place in the world and wondering what kind of life she could lead if she were to leave the farm. Her restlessness is fueled by two drifters, Top and Martin, who are hired to help with the harvest. While Ma and Grandpa Moss are suspicious of the strangers, Laurie is captivated by their vivid tales of travel, and she and Martin quickly fall in love, culminating in a tender kiss at Laurie’s graduation party. Grandpa Moss, furious, banishes the two men, leading Martin and Laurie to make plans to elope, but Martin quickly realizes that this would cause trouble for all involved, and reluctantly sneaks away before daybreak. Heartbroken, Laurie realizes that, though now alone, it is still time for her to go. She bids farewell to the farm and sets off into the unknown, leaving her weeping family to completely reassess their hopes, dreams, and plans for the future. A vivid portrait of the rural mid-west, The Tender Land is painted richly with Copland’s quintessentially American harmonies and tells a beautiful and simple story of a young woman’s coming of age.
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Context
Commissioned by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for the League of Composers’ 30th anniversary, The Tender Land is Aaron Copland’s most well-known opera (and, indeed, one of very few the American composer wrote). Copland took inspiration from Walker Evans’s famous photographs of the American midwest during the Great Depression, and painted a musical landscape to match the open fields and simple life lived by sharecroppers and rural farmers of the era.
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Act One
It is June, the time of spring graduation and spring harvest. The curtain rises on a modest farmhouse in the American midwest, where a young girl, Beth, is dancing with her doll. Her mother, Ma Moss, is sitting nearby in a rocking chair on the porch. Beth daydreams about a future in a big, fancy house, as her mother mother ruminates on all of the hard work she must do to keep her family going. Beth is suddenly excited by the appearance of the postman, Mr. Splinters, down the
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in The Tender Land.
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Songs
- Act I: The day before graduation--late afternoon (Laurie, Ma, Beth, Grandpa, Martin, Top, Mr. Splinters)
- Act II: That evening (All)
- Act III: Later that night; then graduation day--dawn (Martin, Laurie, Top, Ma, Laurie)
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
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