Il Giocatore: the Plot
Act I
Prologue
In the time of the unification of Europe, the young Giovanni moves from his home near Genoa to Scotland to follow the dream that was spurned by Italian culture: golf. There, he ends up pursuing another love, the beautiful daughter of the owner of the manor, Giselda, who is also deeply in love with him. She believes she is pregnant, and is supposed to find out from the doctor’s office that morning whether she is or not. Unfortunately, his father in Italy has just been diagnosed with cancer and has a matter of days to live and has asked to see Giovanni before he dies. The Italian family, according to Giovanni’s younger brother Mariano, can’t send him money to come yet. Mariano says that their father is too ill to speak to Giovanni on the phone. Giovanni, up to his ears in debt, has to hustle in the American style, to get the money to get home quickly. His only friend, Libitina, the hotel maid, has connived to set up a game for Giovanni with an American twosome that likes to bet and Giselda’s father, Lloyd, as his partner.
Scene one
Giovanni, sometimes known locally as Il Giocatore, stands on the veranda of the Castle that is the hotel and clubhouse, looking over the gorse, heather, and grass of the first hole. It’s very early in the morning. He meets Giselda in the bloom of love. Soon the foursome comes together, the two Americans, Skinny and Palmette, and Giovanni and Lloyd. Giselda’s father is old-school, and knows nothing of the love between Giselda and Giovanni.
Act 2
Scene one
Giovanni and Skinny start betting team against team. Giovanni figures he must win about $600 to get to Italy and back and, knowing that there will be more betting, makes the bet at around $300. His stakes rise when Lloyd decides to lay off his part of the bet back on Giovanni.
Scene two
Giovanni and Lloyd win the first four holes. Under the rules of the betting game, Skinny can "press" any bet on which they are "down two." Skinny exercises all the press bets available, and quadruples Giovanni’s (and Lloyd’s) bet to about $2500. There are 14 holes to go.
At the nine, Skinny and Giovanni briefly argue over the betting. In the heat of the argument, Giovanni impulsively presses back, doubling the bet again.
On the tee of the fourteenth hole, Giovanni mentions Giselda to Lloyd. Lloyd replies that his daughter was destined to marry a Scottish man, not Giovanni. Skinny interrupts to go over the bets with Giovanni. Giovanni and Skinny disagree over whether tied holes would be carried over and decided by the outcome at the next hole, or be thrown out. The end of the argument ties the teams.
Act 3
The final scene unfolds at the fairway edge of the 18th, with the Clubhouse in the background. It all comes down to Giovanni’s chip to hole out. It all comes apart, however, when Lloyd’s outrage explodes, and he attempts to kill Il Giocatore with his driver. Instead, Skinny takes the blow, and Giovanni stops the armed Palmette from attacking Lloyd by stabbing him with the pin. As the police arrive on the scene, they see Giovanni waving Palmette’s gun at the crowd. They fire, mortally wounding Giovanni. His brother, Mariano, and Giselda are witnesses. Libitina takes Lloyd under wing, and dedicates her life to God. The transforming experience bond Mariano and Giselda, and they go on in life together.