Walton composed this one act based on a play by Chekhov called 'The Boor.' The requirements for scenery and casting is conservative, which makes this opera accessible to college and smaller opera companies. A widow, confronted by Smirnov who has come to claim his debt owed to him by her late husband of many months, ends up falling in love with Smirnov after their long dispute over the debt owed to him.