GUMIHO
How I Tried to Give up Eating Human Livers and Love Someone (2014 -)
An Opera in Two Acts
Libretto By Michael Pettengell & Nahyun Kim
Published in ProQuest, 2014 (Act I only)
SYNOPSIS
This two-act opera is based on an ancient Korean folk tale that involves a five-thousand-year-old
fox-like creature with nine tails that survives by devouring human livers. This creature can
change forms and is immortal. It also can regurgitate jewels that are priceless and are said to
possess healing powers. In at least one version of the tale, the creature longs to be human, and
for this metamorphosis to take place she must experience the love and trust of a human for one
thousand days. This is the version used for this retelling.
Act I Scene One
Three villagers are working in the forest as a storm approaches. Before they can find
shelter they are attacked by Gumiho, who devours their livers. After doing so, and feeling
somewhat satiated, she realizes she is tired of her current existence and wants to be human and
experience all the changes that go with such a life. A god appears to her and tells her that if she
can find a human to love and trust for one thousand days she can achieve her goal. But if the
human disappoints her, she will have to devour him. If she refuses, then she herself must cease
to exist. She agrees to the challenge.
Act I Scene Two
A woodman who also is caught in the storm takes refuge in a cave. Gumiho, deciding to
have one final meal, is about to attack him. Something about him, perhaps his innate goodness,
stops her and she allows him to live. She is very attracted to him. (It is possible that the god has
set up this whole scenario.) The woodman promises, under pain of death, never to tell anyone
about seeing her.
Act II Scene One
The woodman is making his way home when he meets Gumiho, who has taken the form of a
beautiful woman. They are immediately attracted to each other. Next, the woodman’s mother
appears, who is rather cranky and greedy. A villager, who seems to be the voice of reason in the
tale, and is a friend of the woodman’s mother also appears. The woodman brings Gumiho home
and she offers a priceless jewel (one she has secretly just regurgitated) to the mother. Seeing
Gumiho as someone she can take advantage of, the mother allows her to stay.
A musical interlude signifies the passage of time. Almost three years go by and the thousandth
day is fast approaching.
Act II Scene Two
Gumiho, tired and dirty from overwork, is standing in the yard of the cabin. The
woodman comes and proposes marriage to her. She accepts. The mother then tries to talk him
out of it and tells him that once they have moved into a mansion in town, many women will vie
for his attention. After Gumiho shows some of her former strength in a confrontation with the
mother, the son remains adamant about his decision to marry. The mother continues to try to get
as much out of Gumiho as possible before the newlyweds move into town.
Act II Scene Three
It is the 999th day of the relationship and the day before the marriage and the move into
town. Everyone is anxious about achieving their goals. They believe that all their needs will
soon be met. The god appears to Gumiho and gives her an opportunity to pull out of their
agreement. Convinced that her life will improve through being human, she declines. The
woodman takes cover from an approaching storm that reminds him of the one he experienced
almost three years earlier. He begins, although Gumiho protests, to tell about his experience in
the cave with the monster. As he does so Gumiho slowly changes back into the fox creature.
The god appears and reminds her of her agreement with him. As she hovers over the woodman,
she decides she cannot go through with killing him. Just as Gumiho is starting to float up
towards the god and give herself up to certain oblivion, the mother rushes in, and in an attempt to
protect her son, picks up his axe and wields it through the ephemeral body of Gumiho and into
the chest of her son. The son, although pleading with Gumiho to stay, is covered in his own
blood and dies. The mother, realizing what she has done, succumbs to a heart attack and falls
near him. A visitor arrives. Seeing the carnage, he delivers a moral message to the audience
about the dangers of grasping for happiness outside of one’s own self. The stage then goes
black.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Gumiho - Lyric Soprano
She is a 5,000 year old fox-monster with nine tails…a figure out of the annals of folklore.
She must eat the liver and entrails of humans to retain her strength and stay alive. She
has the ability to change forms at will until it comes time to feed again. She longs to give
up her immortality and live out her life as a human being. Her inner-most desire is to
find a home, a mate, and a restful existence. No one who has seen her in her fox form
has ever lived to describe her.
Woodman - Baritone
He is a man who lives on the edge of the forest, a hardworking, good looking,
trustworthy fellow who works hard to make a living and support his mother. He would
very much like to move forward with his life, escape day-to-day the drudgery, and settle
down with a mate.
God - Lyric Tenor
A supreme power who watches over all the action, he enters into a bargain with Gumiho.
One wonders if he knows the outcome of it all from the beginning. Perhaps he is bored
with simply watching existence passing by.
Mother - Mezzo-Soprano
Like all mothers, she loves her son, but perhaps too much. She would like to live out the
rest of her life just as it is, in control of her surroundings and her son. The mother is very
jealous of anyone who comes between her and her only offspring.
Villager 1/Visitor - Tenor/Counter Tenor
Villager 2 - Bass/Bass-Baritone
Villager 3/Villager in ACT II - Baritone
These are three simple folk from the village who have the misfortune to be caught in the
storm near where Gumiho is lurking. Sadly we know little about them except, since
Gumiho is hungry, for the certainty of their fate.
Libretto By Michael Pettengell & Nahyun Kim
Published in ProQuest, 2014 (Act I only)
SYNOPSIS
This two-act opera is based on an ancient Korean folk tale that involves a five-thousand-year-old
fox-like creature with nine tails that survives by devouring human livers. This creature can
change forms and is immortal. It also can regurgitate jewels that are priceless and are said to
possess healing powers. In at least one version of the tale, the creature longs to be human, and
for this metamorphosis to take place she must experience the love and trust of a human for one
thousand days. This is the version used for this retelling.
Act I Scene One
Three villagers are working in the forest as a storm approaches. Before they can find
shelter they are attacked by Gumiho, who devours their livers. After doing so, and feeling
somewhat satiated, she realizes she is tired of her current existence and wants to be human and
experience all the changes that go with such a life. A god appears to her and tells her that if she
can find a human to love and trust for one thousand days she can achieve her goal. But if the
human disappoints her, she will have to devour him. If she refuses, then she herself must cease
to exist. She agrees to the challenge.
Act I Scene Two
A woodman who also is caught in the storm takes refuge in a cave. Gumiho, deciding to
have one final meal, is about to attack him. Something about him, perhaps his innate goodness,
stops her and she allows him to live. She is very attracted to him. (It is possible that the god has
set up this whole scenario.) The woodman promises, under pain of death, never to tell anyone
about seeing her.
Act II Scene One
The woodman is making his way home when he meets Gumiho, who has taken the form of a
beautiful woman. They are immediately attracted to each other. Next, the woodman’s mother
appears, who is rather cranky and greedy. A villager, who seems to be the voice of reason in the
tale, and is a friend of the woodman’s mother also appears. The woodman brings Gumiho home
and she offers a priceless jewel (one she has secretly just regurgitated) to the mother. Seeing
Gumiho as someone she can take advantage of, the mother allows her to stay.
A musical interlude signifies the passage of time. Almost three years go by and the thousandth
day is fast approaching.
Act II Scene Two
Gumiho, tired and dirty from overwork, is standing in the yard of the cabin. The
woodman comes and proposes marriage to her. She accepts. The mother then tries to talk him
out of it and tells him that once they have moved into a mansion in town, many women will vie
for his attention. After Gumiho shows some of her former strength in a confrontation with the
mother, the son remains adamant about his decision to marry. The mother continues to try to get
as much out of Gumiho as possible before the newlyweds move into town.
Act II Scene Three
It is the 999th day of the relationship and the day before the marriage and the move into
town. Everyone is anxious about achieving their goals. They believe that all their needs will
soon be met. The god appears to Gumiho and gives her an opportunity to pull out of their
agreement. Convinced that her life will improve through being human, she declines. The
woodman takes cover from an approaching storm that reminds him of the one he experienced
almost three years earlier. He begins, although Gumiho protests, to tell about his experience in
the cave with the monster. As he does so Gumiho slowly changes back into the fox creature.
The god appears and reminds her of her agreement with him. As she hovers over the woodman,
she decides she cannot go through with killing him. Just as Gumiho is starting to float up
towards the god and give herself up to certain oblivion, the mother rushes in, and in an attempt to
protect her son, picks up his axe and wields it through the ephemeral body of Gumiho and into
the chest of her son. The son, although pleading with Gumiho to stay, is covered in his own
blood and dies. The mother, realizing what she has done, succumbs to a heart attack and falls
near him. A visitor arrives. Seeing the carnage, he delivers a moral message to the audience
about the dangers of grasping for happiness outside of one’s own self. The stage then goes
black.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Gumiho - Lyric Soprano
She is a 5,000 year old fox-monster with nine tails…a figure out of the annals of folklore.
She must eat the liver and entrails of humans to retain her strength and stay alive. She
has the ability to change forms at will until it comes time to feed again. She longs to give
up her immortality and live out her life as a human being. Her inner-most desire is to
find a home, a mate, and a restful existence. No one who has seen her in her fox form
has ever lived to describe her.
Woodman - Baritone
He is a man who lives on the edge of the forest, a hardworking, good looking,
trustworthy fellow who works hard to make a living and support his mother. He would
very much like to move forward with his life, escape day-to-day the drudgery, and settle
down with a mate.
God - Lyric Tenor
A supreme power who watches over all the action, he enters into a bargain with Gumiho.
One wonders if he knows the outcome of it all from the beginning. Perhaps he is bored
with simply watching existence passing by.
Mother - Mezzo-Soprano
Like all mothers, she loves her son, but perhaps too much. She would like to live out the
rest of her life just as it is, in control of her surroundings and her son. The mother is very
jealous of anyone who comes between her and her only offspring.
Villager 1/Visitor - Tenor/Counter Tenor
Villager 2 - Bass/Bass-Baritone
Villager 3/Villager in ACT II - Baritone
These are three simple folk from the village who have the misfortune to be caught in the
storm near where Gumiho is lurking. Sadly we know little about them except, since
Gumiho is hungry, for the certainty of their fate.