Orpheus descends to hell

The plot of the play takes place in a provincial small town in one of the southern US states. The main action takes place in the "Department Store" by Jab Torrens, an old, embittered man. Jab is sick, he recently had surgery, and all the worries about the store and the pastry shop, which is scheduled to open in the coming days, fall on the shoulders of his wife, Leidi Torrens. Lady is known for her extraordinary past, which neighbors are happy to discuss, a few vulgar persons - Dolly Hamm and Bule Binnings. They say that the father of Leidy was a certain Italyashka, who owned a cafe and a vineyard on the shores of Lunar Lake and made a fortune on the illegal trade in alcohol during the Prohibition period. He finished badly - he began selling alcohol to blacks, and the local "Holy Brotherhood" (an analogue of the Ku Klux Klan) could not forgive this. They rode at night and burned down a cafe on the Moon Lake, and Italiyashka died in the fire, trying to save his property. Particularly mentioned vineyard, arranged on the site. In it, young Lady met with David Cartrir.

On the stage appears and a little freaky Carol Cartrir. The county pays her to keep her from appearing here, but Carol doesn't really attach much importance to her commitments. While the neighbors condemn and gossip about Carol, a new character appears in the store - Val Zeviere. He is brought by the sheriff’s wife, Wi. According to her, the guy is looking for work and could help Lady while Jabe is unwell. Val is accompanied by his guitar, on which he plays the ballad of Tennessee Williams "Paradise Herbs".

Leidy leaves Val a clerk, captivated by his ability to speak and comfort, and perhaps a beautiful appearance. Slowly awakening the store’s owner to the life she had left at the time of breaking with Cartrir, interspersed with Val’s conversations with other inhabitants. Carol unsuccessfully harasses a young man. Vee shares his visions with him, shows him his paintings. There is a meeting between Lady and David, from which it becomes known that Lady had been pregnant from him, but had lost a child. Men, however, look at Val with wariness and do not trust his beauty.

Their suspicion culminates when a jealous sheriff offers the guy to leave the city before sunrise.

Shortly before, introducing a new clerk to her husband, Leidy tells Jayb about his innovations regarding the store and the pastry shop. The connection with Val awakens her desire to live and create, she plans a grand opening of the confectionery. In a conversation with Jab, who does not like all this, she suddenly finds out that it was her husband who was the leader that night when her father was burned.

The final scene takes place in the confectionery, a few hours before its opening. Val is trying to leave, Leidy is trying to keep him, and when it becomes clear that the young man will nevertheless leave the city, decides to leave after him. In the process of persuasion and conversation with a descendant of Jab's nurse, it turns out that Lady is pregnant from Val. It is here that Mrs. Torrens and tells Val that for the first time he feels truly alive, thanks him that he returned her life.

Jab who has come down at the wrong time is furious and begins to shoot. Leidy covers Val with his body, and Jab calls for help, accusing the clerk of the murder. Val runs away, male neighbors rush to the chase, behind the stage, terrible death cries of Val are heard.

Throughout the text of the play, a close analogy is drawn with the myth of Orpheus ^[1] (Val - Orpheus, Leidi - Eurydice , Jab - Hades ). So, Val plays the guitar, which makes a strong impression on others (an analogy with Orpheus, who pacified wild animals with the sounds of kyphara). The main storyline corresponds to the myth of Orpheus: Hades is awakened by the life-giving force of art, but Orpheus is unable to finally bring out Eurydice. The sheriff and his two assistants seem to symbolize Kerber .

• From the breed of fugitives ( The fugitive kind , 1960 ) ^[2] , director Sidney Lumet , script Tennessee Williams, starring Marlon Brando and Anna Magnani .
• Orpheus descends to hell ( Orpheus descending , 1990 ) ^[3] , directed by Peter Hall , script by Peter Hall, starring Kevin Anderson and Vanessa Redgrave .
• Orpheus descends to hell / Orpheus steigt herab - television movie of the GDR of 1965 .

• Orpheus descends to hell . In the collection: Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, Plays. M., Rainbow, 1985.