La Dame Blanche TITLE OF SOURCE: AUTHOR'S NAME - FIRST: LAST: DESCRIPTION: Visual Text The story of this favorite opera, adapted from Walter Scott's novels "The Monastery" and "Guy Mannering," runs as follows. The Laird of Avenel, a Stuart partisan, upon the eve of going into exile after the battle of Culloden, entrusts his estate and a considerable treasure concealed in a statue, called "the White Lady," to Gaveston, his steward. The traditions affirmed that the White Lady was the protectress of the Avenels, and the villagers declared they had seen her in the neighborhood. Gaveston, however, who puts no faith in the legend, announces the sale of the castle, hoping that the superstition may keep others from bidding and that he may get it for a low price. The steward decides to sell, because he has heard the Laird is dead and knows there is no heir. COMMENTS: Visual Text A woman fobs herself off as local legend "the White Lady." Not quite a ghost story, because the White Lady legend isn't a spooky one, but rather one of benevolence...but you could tweak the legend to be spookier, if that's your bent. Or you might get a comic twist on this structure. The story itself is a little creaky and very old-fashioned, but sturdy enough, and you might wrench something interesting out of it if you find the right angle to the legend, and the reason for the woman to taken on the initial pretense. CANDIDATE FOR ADAPTATION?: --- not set --- Not reviewed Promising Unlikely SOURCE MATERIAL: Fable Novella Play Plot summary Short Story -- Parent -- GENRE: Comedy Comic Horror Detective Drama Fable Fairy Tale Fantasy Folklore Folktale Ghost Story Melodrama Mystery Myth Operetta Other Romance Suspense Young Audiences -- Parent -- SETTING: Africa America England Europe Fantasy International New Zealand Pastoral Rural Rustic Science Fiction -- Parent -- LENGTH FOR ADAPTATION: 10 Minutes 15 Minutes 30 Minutes 45 Minutes 60 Minutes 90 Minutes Two Hours -- Parent -- URL FOR PDF DOCUMENT: LaDameBlanche.pdf
