Although Gian Carlo Menotti's The Consul premiered in 1950 during the Cold War, it feels relevant today. It also is a gripping musical drama. Menotti's three-act work, written in English and accompanied by supertitles, is set in an unnamed European country with an oppressive regime. A young freedom fighter, John Sorel, must flee the country, leaving behind his wife, Magda; mother and sickly infant son.
The action focuses on Magda's efforts to get a visa to join John in another country. Getting a visa requires daily visits to its consulate, where Magda and a handful of other desperate souls confront barriers of indifference and endless paper work. Those barriers are personified by the consul's secretary. She repulses all efforts to speak to the consul, who is never directly seen. Magda's problems are compounded by the secret police, who hound her for the names of John's associates. As Magda's problems mount, so does her desperation, resulting in tragedy.
