by Danielle Ryle
The play opens onboard a sailing ship in a violent storm. The Master, Boatswain, and sailors argue with Albert, Aminta, and their French companions over how best to weather the storm. As part of this effort, the Master makes the men unload all worldly goods and treasure to lighten the load of the struggling ship. We learn that Albert has abducted Aminta from her family but still hopes to make things right with an honest marriage. Clear tensions are drawn between the sexes and between the pious and the practical. The crew eventually spots an island in the distance and steers the ship towards the shore.
On the island, Sebastian and his nephew Nicusa watch the French ship fight the storm and bemoan their own ill luck at having been stranded for so long in this barren place after pursuit by French pirates. The two Portuguese refugees decide to try their luck in approaching the new arrivals.
The French contingent all arrive safely on the island. Franville, Lamure, and Morillat threaten mutiny over the loss of their goods and wealth. At first, the Frenchmen mistake the approaching Sebastian and Nicusa for inhuman creatures because of their wasted bodies and long hair. The Portuguese brief the Frenchmen on the barren state of the island but also the possible presence of other inhabitants on another nearby island. When Sebastian reveals the treasure remaining from their own shipwreck and offers it as recompense to the French for offering to help them escape the island, Franville, Lamure, and Morillat fall into a frenzy of greed, Tibalt strives to restore the peace, and Albert is injured in the skirmish.
As the Frenchmen mutiny over the new treasure, Sebastian and Nicusa commandeer the French ship and set sail. Tibalt condemns Franville, Lamure, and Morillat to this new unfruitful, open-air kingdom.
Aminta tends to the wounded Albert and declares her love for him, even though he abducted her. Much to Albert's dismay, Aminta cuts her beautiful hair and uses it to bandage him. Albert and Aminta follow the sounds of hunting horns until they spy the other island that the Portuguese men spoke of. Albert is determined to brave the dangerous waters that divide the two islands to seek out food and rescue, even though Aminta claims it's too risky.
On the other island, a group of women are hunting deer. We learn of the young Clarinda (who has never seen a man before), her mother Rosella (who rules this commonwealth of women), and Crocale, Hippolita, and Juletta (who relish their freedom and pine for sexual contact with men). Crocale relates a dream about a young man coming to her bed. When Albert washes up on shore, he mistakes the women for goddesses and begs for their help before fainting. Clarinda examines Albert's unconscious body and, after puzzling over him, realizes that he is a man. She is attracted to him and begins to feel jealous when she sees another woman's hair bandaging his wounds. Rosella discovers Albert among the women and upbraids them for entertaining him. She reminds them that part of their mutual agreement in forming a commonwealth was the abjure the company of men. She also notes that they learned to live as Amazons from a group of indigenous women who once inhabited the island. However, after listening to the women's demands, she consents to a sexual exchange of one month with the men on the other island. Anxious about Clarinda's interest in him, Albert lies and says that the stranded Aminta is his sister, begging for a quick return to her.
Meanwhile, Franville, Lamure, and Morillat try to make meals out of mud and beg the Surgeon for medicinal scraps to eat. When Aminta enters and falls asleep from hunger and exhaustion, the men scheme over how best to cannibalize her. Tibalt to save Aminta from the greedy gentlemen, and suddenly Albert returns with food and news of the Amazons. Albert asks Aminta to play along with the story that she is his sister. The Amazons offer their help and sexual services on two conditions: (1) that the men ask nothing of their pasts; and (2) that the men surrender their weapons. Tibalt then assesses each man’s humor to match him with the most compatible woman. The men decide to use the treasure they received from Sebastian and Nicusa to woo the Amazons. The sight of the treasure triggers a violent outburst when the women realize that it is their own lost treasure. Rosella assumes that the men killed Sebastian (her husband) and stole the treasure from him. Clarinda saves the men's lives by arguing that killing the men would be a mercy and that they should rather suffer in captivity.
Having been rescued by the sudden and timely appearance of Raymond (Aminta’s brother) and his sailors, Sebastian and Nicusa return with Raymond to the barren island in search of the people and treasure they left behind, but there is no trace of the Frenchmen. Raymond gives them four days’ worth of food and says if the men can't be found in that time, Sebastian and Nicusa will be left to starve.
Rosella plans the ritual execution of the Frenchmen on the anniversary of her marriage to Sebastian. Clarinda, Crocale, Hippolita, and Juletta discuss the various merits and faults of their captive men. Clarinda tries to comfort Aminta by declaring her love and mercy for Albert and asks Aminta to woo Albert on her behalf. Aminta visits Albert in his cell and tells him that he must love Clarinda. Albert wonders how Aminta could entreat him to do this and suspects her of loving someone else. At last, they decide to live for the moment and love each other for as long as they can keep it a secret.
Tibalt and the Master say they'd rather be sent out to pasture than satisfy the Crocale and Juletta sexually. By contrast, Franville, Lamure, and Morillat offer their sexual services to Juletta and Clarinda in exchange for food. They then attempt to barter with the news that Aminta is Albert’s mistress, not his sister. Enraged, Clarinda vows revenge and storms off.
Clarinda discovers Aminta and Albert embracing and bids the other women bind Aminta to a tree. Raymond suddenly arrives and recognizes his sister Aminta, but his failure to take arms against the women leads to his capture too.
Rosella instructs the other women to eavesdrop on the Frenchmen to confirm the details of their guilt and whether Raymond is in league with them.
The women set out a feast of food and drink to lure the Frenchmen into revealing their pasts while Crocale eavesdrops. Tibalt quickly falls to drinking copious amounts of wine. Raymond is reunited with Aminta and Albert, and Albert seeks forgiveness from Raymond for having abducted Aminta. Crocale overhears these partial histories and bursts onto the scene when she's heard enough to suspect that the men Raymond says he encountered may be her long-lost Portuguese kinsmen. Last on stage, a very drunk Tibalt flirts with Crocale.
Sebastian and Nicusa spy an approaching ship helmed by Crocale coming to bring them to the fertile island.
Still determined to follow through with the ritual sacrifice, Rosella stands before an altar and explains the Amazons’ true history as stranded Portuguese women. Crocale interrupts to reunite Sebastian and Rosella, who are long-lost husband and wife. Rosella abdicates her power, and Sebastian unequivocally takes charge of the party, betrothing his daughter Clarinda to Raymond and confirming the love of Aminta and Albert. Tibalt still swoons for Crocale. Happy all, they announce plans to return home.