Coppélia
Our last performance of Coppélia was in the Spring of 2023 at the Martha Cohen Theatre. Learn more about this ballet below!
Act I
On a sunny morning in a small German town, the attention of the village is captured by a beautiful girl, Coppélia, who has suddenly appeared on the balcony of the eccentric Dr. Coppélius' house. Intrigued by the newcomer, Swanhilda tries to get her attention and invites her to come down, but Coppélia does not look up from her book. When Franz, her fiance, sees her sitting and reading he is enchanted and blows kisses too her - much to Swanhilda's dismay. Convinced that Franz no longer loves her, Swnahilda is ready to call off the wedding but agrees to listen for the rattling of an ear of wheat to see if she still has his heart.
That night, a group of boys harrasses Dr. Coppélius in front of his home and he drops his keys amidst the chaos. Swanhilda and her friends find the key an decide to enter his home to uncover the secret of the strange girl who won’t look up from her book.
Act II
The girls sneak inside and are frightened when they come face to face with Coppélia, still reading her book. Frustrated at her lack of response, Swanhilda listens for her heartbeat and realises at last that Coppélia is only a doll. When Dr. Coppélius comes home and surprises them, her friends run away but Swanhilda hides and changes into Coppélia's clothes.
Later Franz arrives, hoping to speak to the mysterious Coppélia but Dr. Coppélius catches him and drugs him so that he can use magic to steal Franz's soul to bring his doll to life. Swanhilda cleverly catches on to his plan and plays along until Franz wakes up and the two of them escape together.
Act III
Swanhilda and Franz's wedding day arrives, the same day that a new church bell has been gifted to the village by the rich Duke. But the festivities are interrupted when an angry Dr. Coppélius barges in and demands to be paid for the damages to his home. The Duke generously pays him and the wedding resumes, along with the celebrations for the new bell.