Madame Butterfly, one of the world's great love stories—and one of the most tragic—has gone through many transformations. While the other treatments have Westernized the story to some extent (Puccini's opera uses European music), Jerome McDonough focuses on Japanese characteristics and traditions; and he has incorporated one of the most horrible events the world has ever known: the explosion of the atomic bomb over Nagasaki. This version begins in 1938 when an American unites in a Japanese marriage with the geisha, Butterfly. For him the union is merely a pastime; for her it is life itself. When he leaves without her, she waits faithfully for him to keep his promise to return. From her house overlooking the harbor of Nagasaki, she and their son watch for his ship; the date is December 6, 1941—the day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He finally does return to the devastated city after World War II has ended, and he finds...?

In his usual manner McDonough provides extensive production notes, in this case suggestions for giving the performance a Kabuki flavor. Western devices and styles are interspersed, giving the play a definite multi-cultural slant, but one overriding tenet guides everything—portray a "Japanese" feeling. A one-act in 3 scenes; Nagasaki, Japan; 1938, 1941, and 1946. Extensive, detailed production notes in the script include properties, costumes, make-up, lighting, music, character names, and setting with a picture of the original production.

Other McDonough adaptations: Alice, A Christmas Carol (1-act)

See also: Plays with a Foreign Flavor