The love potion

Act One

First picture
A group of peasants are resting in the field, and a little further away, under a tree, sits Adina – a rich and capricious girl – who, as usual, is reading a book. Nemorino, one of the peasants, a shy and simple guy, looks at her longingly and asks himself how he can make her fall in love with him, since she is rich and wise while he is considered unsuccessful. Suddenly, Adina bursts out laughing and tells all the villagers the legend of the miraculous love potion that helped Tristan win Isolde’s heart. A military march announces the arrival of a squad of soldiers, led by a lance, a symbol full of pride and self-confidence in his manhood, and he immediately solemnly proposes to Adina to marry him. Nemorino, stunned and struck by his unexpected rival, is forced to confess his love for her to Adina, but she rejects him, explaining that by nature she is incapable of returning love.

Second picture
The entire village is filled with excitement with the arrival of Dr. Dulcamare, a potion seller who presents a cure for every problem. At Nemorino’s request, the doctor prepares a love potion for him, noting that the potion, which Nemorino does not know is just Bordeaux wine, only takes effect after 24 hours (a long enough period for Dulcamare to leave the village). After Nemorino drinks the potion, he becomes cheerful and naively believes that tomorrow redemption will come and Adina will love him back. Adina is surprised by the rapid change that has occurred in Nemorino, and out of a desire to tease him, she agrees to marry Belcora in six days. Nemorino, convinced that the next day, when the potion begins to work, Adina will love him forever, remains confident in himself and his future with her. Belcora surprisingly receives an order to leave the village and Adina decides to marry him on the spot. The tease has become a dangerous adventure. The desperation of Nemorino knows no bounds, and on top of that, all the villagers mock him and treat him like a fool, unlucky in love.

Second act

First picture
All the villagers come to the wedding party of Adina and Belcore, except for Nemorino. Adina, whose revenge will not be complete without Nemorino’s presence, postpones signing the marriage contract until he appears. At the same time, Nemorino seeks out Dr. Dulcamare and begs him to give him another potion. Dulcamare does offer another potion that might help, but Nemorino is left penniless. And so, in his desperation and to obtain the necessary money, Nemorino enlists in the army. Belcore happily offers Nemorino the draft grant: it is a chance to get rid of his ridiculous and annoying competitor. In his innocence, Nemorino believes that the additional potion will make Adina fall in love with him.

Second picture
The rumor spreads among the girls of the village that Nemorino’s rich uncle has died and left him all his property. They begin to court Nemorino, who transforms from a ridiculous eccentric to a sought-after bachelor, but he interprets the girls’ courtship as a result of the successful action of the potion. Adina, who meets the sought-after and bewitched Nemorino, is very surprised when Dulcamare tells her about Nemorino’s enlistment in the army and realizes that Nemorino’s love for her is sincere and powerful. His sacrifice of personal freedom touches her to the core and breaks through the emotional barriers in her world. At that moment, she also becomes aware of her own love for Nemorino. Adina redeems Nemorino’s enlistment order from Belcora and presents it to him, confessing to him her love for him. After all the setbacks and provocations, Nemorino and Adina reconcile, each with himself and his partner. Dulcamare, who is about to leave the provincial village, tells of Nemorino’s inheritance and takes the opportunity to market his new drink, which breaks the women’s reluctance to return love. Belcorra heads to another village to look for a new girl, still confident in his manhood, while Nemorino and Adina rush to the wedding.