DUEL AND DEATH

Synopsis

ACT I Alexander Pushkin and his wife Natalya arrive at a ball in St. Petersburg, Russia, where they become the center of attention. She is tall, young, and beautiful. He is short, older, and unsightly (with Negroid features). He is also a famous poet. A dashing young officer, Georges D’Anthes, approaches Natalya and kisses her hand. D’ Anthes is married to Natalya’s sister, yet he is madly in love with Natalya. Soon Natalya and D’Anthes are dancing with Pushkin pushed aside. As they dance, D’ Anthes asks Natalya if he can see her the next day to which she replies No. Nevertheless, D’Anthes later forces himself on her and openly declares his love. Natalya reports D’Anthes’s incursion to Pushkin who challenges him to a duel. The duel takes place. Pushkin is shot and wounded. He is taken home and placed on a couch in his study as a doctor is summoned. In the interim Pushkin talks to Natalya. Through a flashback of several scenes, he recalls the early, most promising days of their relationship. Dr. Schultz soon arrives. The doctor examines Pushkin after which he proclaims that Pushkin will die in twenty-four hours.

ACT II Dr. Schultz nevertheless continues to try and save Pushkin’s life despite his pessimistic prognosis. He sends for another doctor, a specialist, in hopes that there still might be a chance. As Pushkin waits for the specialist and his health further deteriorates, he calls for Natalya again. He wants to reconcile with their past differences. As she sits by his side, Pushkin’s flashback from Act I resumes, this time recounting the tragic events and personalities—Pushkin, Natalya, D’Anthes, and others— that led up to the duel. The flashback also shows how and why things went wrong between Pushkin and Natalya, and it reveals the central conflicts in Pushkin’s life. Meanwhile, the medical specialist arrives to administer a procedure meant to improve Pushkin’s condition, only to make it worse. Pushkin is now subject to the most excruciating pain causing him to howl and throw a tantrum. He is given a shot of morphine to quiet him down.

ACTIII Pushkin now approaches death. He’s stayed alive for twenty-four hours but the pain has grown increasingly worse. Tension builds as he, and others around him, realizes there is absolutely no hope left: he’s not going to survive. In addition, ordinary Russian citizens have heard, through the grapevine, about Pushkin’s impending fate. Scores of strangers make their way to Pushkin’s apartment in order to a get one last glimpse of Russia’s greatest poet. The crowd adds more chaos to an already chaotic situation. Once Pushkin finally dies, Tsar Nicholas fears the throng of Pushkin enthusiasts will swell into something larger, thus threatening his regime. The final stage of this saga is the extraordinary measures the Tsar takes to suppress any recognition or celebration of Pushkin in public displays or even a funeral. Pushkin’s body is therefore secretly transported out of Saint Petersburg and buried in a monastery far away as DUEL AND DEATH comes to an end.