Synopsis
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Francesco Bernardone (1182-1226) , a son of a linen merchant in the Italian town of Assisi, was known throughout Assisi as a young troubadour wooing women with his serenades. Chivalry, honor, and prestige formed his heart. He was sent to two wars and everyone, particulary his father, hoped that this would make a knight out of him. But all this changed ever since Francis came back from the war that he joined in 1205. All the dreams of his father and the adulation of those who knew him turned into disappointment and disgrace. Indeed, something happened to Francis, an event that signaled the start of God’s intervention in Francis’ life and the lives of thousands thereafter.Act One: Scene One during rehearsals |
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On his way to Apulia, Francis was stricken with fever in Spoleto where he heard the voice of God asking him to return o Assisi to do higher things. Thus, it was so that when he returned to Assisi, he was a new man. He had changed so much that people were dumbfounded at his words and his actions. He was seen laughing by himself, running after butterflies, singing songs to the birds, and smiling at the moon. He associated with beggars, lepers, and the poor. He took the profit of his father’s store and gave it away to the beggars who came, to the extent of handing over all the finest linen in their shop! The pivotal point of Francis’ change of heart, however, was his kiss to a leper. |
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The kiss to a leper happened at around 1206 and was considered by Francis as the main event of his conversion. He was walking in the moonlight after the party he had attended. Out of the darkness, he heard the tinkling of a bell. This tinkling was very well known as a warning for people that a leper was approaching. As the leper came nearer, Francis, as was his wont, turned away, but something stopped him, and he eventually found in his heart the call of his life – the call to the poor, the call to poverty. He went after the leper, gave everything he had in his pocket |
The Tavern Scene during rehearsals and kissed the leper’s hand. It is a this event where our play begins . |
In Act One, we see the various instances wheere Francis sought to become the man he was called to be. Scene One, situated in the Bernardone household, depicts the anger of his father towards the foolishness of his son. His repeated beatings and outbursts of rage were of no match to the peace Francis held in his heart. Scene Two depicts who Francis was before his conversion. Francis, the thrower of parties, merry and jolly, was no longer the joy of his friends. Some thought that he was in love with a girl and was getting married. Fortunately, their guess was wrong. These "friends," however, were friends only for his money and were terribly distressed when Francis tells them of his plan. Scene Three situates us in the town-square where Francis is seen begging for alms. This scene summarizes the instances that occurred in his life prior to the establishment of his order. His kiss to the leper, his building of the church of San Damian, his encounter with the devil in the form of the hmpback woman, all these are recounted in ths scene. It culminates with Francis renouncing his father before the Bishop of Assisi. Scene Four finds us in a time that followed much later that of the earlier scene. It shows us the company of the Friars Minor and the events that occured among the brothers as they tried to follow Francis' teaching.
In Act Two, we see the growth of the Franciscan Order and the culmination of Francis' life. Scene One brings us to in the courtyard of the Offreduccio household. Here is shown the story of Clare d' Offreduccio, the founder of the Order of the Poor Clares. She was of noble birth and was set to marry her fiancé in a prearranged marriage. She one day, however, encountered Francis. She later found herself also being called by the Voice - calling her to a life of Poverty and holy suffering just like Francis. With the help of her friend, Bona del Guelfuccio, she ran away from home and started her new life at the Church of San Damian. Her father's men tried to come after her but since she belongs to the church, they couldn't do anything. Slowly, more and more ladies, young and old, joined Francis order weren't limited to single men and women. Even the married, widowed and those with families followed the way of Poverty. This was depicted by Scene Two. Scene Three shows the various problems Francis encountered due to the growth of the Order. Problems like there were inevitable. Many new members started to compare themselves with other orders. They complained about membership, requirements and privileges. Francis had no recourse but to step down from his position as Superior General and submit to the revision of the Rules of Poverty. These were the very same rules that Christ instructed him to follow. In vain, every time he rewrites the rules, the brothers become dissatisfied. The resolution of the conflicts ended up in wrath and eventually separation. Nevertheless, God still ruled over the Order. In Scene Four, His grace still abounded as Francis often had his bouts with the devil. Still, the faith of the saint did not falter. Thus, as a reward to his efforts, Christ gave his very own mark of approval to Francis. Christ gave him the Stigmata, the Five Holy Wounds inflicted upon Jesus' body during the Crucifixion. The days passed quickly as the time for Francis to return to his creator came nearer. He was brought to Assisi and there, knowledgeable of the time of his own death, amidst the tears of his beloved brethren, Francis breathed forth his last October 3, 1226. Scene Six attempts to summarize the various events that transpired before his passing. Thus, was the life of St. Francis of Assisi.
