A sick man has visions; under the watchful and worried eye of his chambermaid, he talks to himself and believes that he is seeing a woman and a masked ball. A woman dozing in her living room has a fever dream in which she sees the man she has loved. Her daughter, who is looking after her, struggles to bring her back to her senses.

Shadow theatre

Not specified

Bernus Alexander von

Germany

Munich

Printed

Spiritual union

Love

Vision

Separation

Past happiness

Fever

Dream

Lyrical

Melodramatic

Dora Polster and Doris Wimmer, flat figures and scenery for the first scene of Vormitternacht.

German

Schattenspiel der Seele

Sick person

Home-nurse

Daughter

Duplication

Apparition

Vormitternacht

Before midnight

Mrs Lee confesses her love to her Gardener, in front of her husband. The Gardener snorts in response. She gives herself to him, thrilled by the idea of joining their souls. As they are making love, the Gardener slits her throat with his scythe. Mr. Lee, who witnessed everything from the room where the audience is, is delighted that everything was fake and that it was just a dream. Aha and Blindboy, who witnessed it all, decide to go back in the past, disappointed by the modern world.

String marionette

Craig Edward Gordon

Italy

Marina di Pisa

Garden

Unfaithfulness

Carnal love

Satirical

Erotic

Parodistic

Edward Gordon Craig, Uplifted Petticoats (front cover)

English

A Highbrow Morality Play for Men Only

Husband

Gardener

Ahha

Blind Boy

Blind

Monologue

Address to the public

Seduction scene

Erotic scene

Murder on stage

Commentary

Speechless character

Blind character

Uplifted Petticoats