 Synopsis 
Act I A small village in France, during the reign of King Louis XIV. A thief, known only as THE SHADOW has been stealing from a prominent merchant, EDGARD FIRMÌN. Terrified of the Shadow, Firmìn offers this reward: to the man who catches the thief, he will offer the hand of either of his two eldest daughters, FLIPOTE or FLORETTE. The Townsmen swear to catch the Shadow and all exit, except for Mireille, Firmìn’s youngest daughter. Mireille longs to escape from her father’s kind-hearted but overbearing protectiveness. Seeing this, a GYPSY who is a friend of the Shadow, teaches Mireille how to dance, and even gives Mireille her coquette’s mask. All at once, the Shadow appears and – mistaking Mireille for the Gypsy – he begins dancing with her. Mireille at first is excited to be dancing with such a dashing man, but as the dance progresses, Mireille grows afraid. She takes off her mask, revealing herself, and flees. The Gypsy reappears and tries to convince Bearskin to return to her. But Bearskin feels a pang of conscience – an unfamiliar sensation. Spurning the Gypsy, he follows Mireille back to Firmìn’s house. Thwarted, the Gypsy gathers the remaining Thieves and orders them to finish off Firmìn once and for all. Act II In the home of Edgard Firmìn. Flipote and Florette laugh and flirt with the Townsmen until Firmìn returns and shoos them out. The Townsmen depart again in high spirits, promising to find the Shadow. Smiling, Firmìn calls for his secretary, Henri – who is one of the Thieves. Together, they go over the books – Firmìn embezzling from his customers, Henri embezzling from his employer – until Mireille appears. She attempts to sneak in, but is caught by her father and Henri who question where she had been all afternoon. Finally satisfied, Firmìn dismisses both his daughter and his secretary for the night, and finishes up his books alone. He soon falls asleep, though – and as soon as he does, the Thieves led by Henri and the Gypsy appear, to take Firmìn’s life. Just then, Mireille returns to confront her father with his corrupt business practices. She recognizes the Gypsy, who orders the Thieves to silence the girl. Suddenly, the Shadow is among them, fighting off his former allies to protect Mireille. The Thieves flee. Mireille attempts to escape, but the Shadow stops her. Terrified, Mireille rushes at the Shadow with an impromptu knife. The Shadow disarms her, and to prove his sincerity, he removes his mask. Moved by this revelation, Mireille allows the Shadow to kiss her. No sooner have they embraced, than the entire chorus – Thieves, Townsmen, the Firmìns and Henri – enter, led by the Gypsy. Firmìn orders the Shadow seized and killed, but Mireille begs for mercy. She convinces Firmìn to send the Shadow to the wars for a few years: there he may earn his fortunes, pay back Firmìn and earn her hand. Firmìn agrees – after all, the Shadow may die there, too. Act III All over France, women send their men off to war. Mireille gives the Shadow a cross to remember her by, and the Shadow leaves. Through a series of letters, we learn of their progress: of Mireille’s family falling deeper into debt due to her sister’s wantonness, and the Shadow rising in the military ranks. THEIR VOICES, or souls, whisper their true passion over the everyday pleasantries the Shadow and Mireille write. At last, the Shadow is given command of his own battle. But his troops are defeated – every last man dead. Only the Shadow remains, too ashamed to return to Paris, too desolate to return to Mireille. Even as he despairs, his old friend the Gypsy appears. She offers him a return to wealth and the light he had forsaken, making him a bet. If for seven years he wears a magical Bearskin coat, does not wash, shave, cut his hair or nails, not call upon Heaven, and tell no one and let no one guess his true name, then all the wealth she has ever accumulated will be his. The offer is too tempting. The Shadow accepts. But even as the Gypsy disappears, the Shadow (now BEARSKIN) asks the Gypsy who she truly is. He’s known her all his life – but as a masked woman. He longs to know the woman beneath the mask. The Gypsy laughs and complies. Suddenly, no woman stands there, but the very DEVIL. Bearskin falls to his knees in despair as with a peal of laughter, the Devil disappears. INTERMISSION Act IV Bearskin has given up all hope. Feeling damned already, he decides to make the most of his few brief years. He lives quite the prodigal life – with wine, women and money from his magical pockets. But after three years, he is ragged and disgusting – even beggars spurn him. The Gypsy appears and tempts him to take his life now and end his suffering, to give up his soul before its time. Bearskin rejects her. Four more years. Time passes slowly. Bearskin wanders from place to place, given no respite from anyone. The Gypsy appears again, once more offering seeming relief. Weary, Bearskin promises to give his soul to the Gypsy after one last visit to see Mireille. In Mireille’s village, Mireille is dressed in mourning for the Shadow. News had arrived six years before that all the men in his regiment died, and she has been inconsolable since. Worse, Flipote and Florette constantly tease her about her love, and egg on the others in the town to also make Mireille’s faithfulness a mockery. Incensed, Bearskin follows – intent on serving justice. Act V In Firmìn’s House, the master himself kneels before a crucifix, a half-empty bottle by his elbow, a gun in his hand. His fortunes have fallen due to his and his daughters’ extravagance, and he has no one to blame but himself. In despair, Firmìn lifts the pistol to his head and touches the trigger… …but the gun is knocked out of his hand. Looking up, Firmìn sees Bearskin, who berates Firmìn for throwing away his life. Has Firmìn bargained his soul? No. There is hope left for Firmìn. Grateful, Firmìn offers his strange savior the hand of one of his daughters. But Flipote and Florette vehemently refuse to entertain the notion of wedding the ragged monster. Mireille is summoned. Seeing Bearskin reminds Mireille of someone – long lost, long dead, long dreamt of, long loved. Bearskin denies that he is her lost love, afraid in these last moments of breaking the contract with the Devil and perhaps suffering even worse torment. He will keep what dignity he can. Disappointed, Mireille turns away. The Gypsy appears, holding out Mireille’s confiscated cross to Bearskin, urging him to put it on and reveal himself. After all, he is damned already. Why not know a little love before he loses his life? Convinced, Bearskin snatches up the cross and pulls it over his head to read against his heart. With a cry, he turns to Mireille who, turning, sees her beloved. She rushes to him, even as his life begins to slip away according to the contract and the Gypsy pulls out a wicked dagger to take his soul. Seeing the Gypsy’s intentions, Mireille throws herself in the way of the dagger, which plunges into her back. The contract broken since an innocent life was offered freely, the Gypsy begins retreating. With her last breath, Mireille calls to God for mercy, which a Heavenly choir takes up. Bearskin looks up, and for the first time calls upon divinity. The light increases even as Mireille’s lashes flutter. As the curtains close, they kiss, suffused with grace and mercy. THE END
 
(c) 2003
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