Polichinelle discovers that the theaters have been demolished. He has ordered a carpenter to make him new puppets but has no play to perform. The author Flonflon asks to be paid in advance, and Polichinelle beats him. Then four spectators come to see Polichinelle. The Compère (stooge) advises him to present a very short play. Polichinelle announces that he has two plot ideas: the relocation of the Comédie-Italienne and the wedding of the fairy Carabosse with Polichinelle. The play ends with a dance and a farce.

Not specified

Carolet Denis

France

Paris

Printed

Life of the theatres

Playwright

Spectator

Relocation

Fair

Comical

Satirical

French

Polichinelle

The Interpreter

Author

Nurse

Mitron

Maid

Metadiscourse on puppet theatre

Dance

Final song

Blow-with-a-stick

Bawdy equivocation

L'Impromptu de Polichinelle

The Impromptu of Polichinelle

The Compère (Stooge) is looking forward to the next Polichinelle performance. But one of the actresses, Mademoiselle Godon, is not happy with her role and complains to the author Farinet. A quarrel begins between her sister Manon and their mother. Infuriated, Farinet leaves with his play, which he lends to another theatre. Polichinelle must therefore improvise an impromptu: in it, he plays the lover who abducts his mistress Lolotte, with her consent, to force her father Géronte to let them marry.

Theaters of the Parisian fairs

Argument

Seduction

Kidnapping

Manuscript of La Pièce manquée et de L'Impromptu de Polichinelle (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Ms. fr. 9318).

Poet

Pierrot

Metatheatre

Aria

Prologue

La Pièce manquée et L'Impromptu de Polichinelle

The missed Play and Polichinelle's Impromptu

At the Foire Saint-Laurent, Polichinelle is conversing with a Poète (Poet), Monsieur de la Rimaille (Mister of the Doggerel), about how low the pay for writers is. A Chanteuse (Female singer) offers to join Polichinelle’s troupe, but she changes her mind when she learns that singers are hidden behind a piece of cloth in puppet theatres. A Marchand (Merchant) is looking for his wife, who is being unfaithful to him with a shop boy; a Petite Fille (Young Girl) is looking for her mother, who left her for a young man; this young girl herself goes to see a “petit jeune homme” (a little young man) whom she is acquainted with. Gros Thomas (Fat Thomas), a famous barker and tooth puller, arrives.

Printed summary

Money

Unfaithfulness

Love

Precocity

Barker

Les Aventures de la Foire Saint-Laurent, manuscript of the play.

Singer (female)

Merchant (man)

Young girl

Gros Thomas

Play with drawers

Les Aventures de la Foire Saint-Laurent

Adventures in the Foire Saint-Laurent

Nigot (Simpleton), M. Pigetout (literally, Mr Understands-Everything) and M. Machin (Mr Thing) are having lunch together and waiting for M. X…, the author who is supposed to bring the manuscript. However, when M. X… arrives, he is forbidden to enter. Later, M. Forfrais [play on words between “forfait” (flat rate) and “frais” (cost/fee)] , the treasurer, and M. Machin, director of the theatre, have a meeting during which they count the money they made from the performances. M. Machin needs a great sum of money to stage the performance with the leading actor M. Chose (Mr Stuff). Shortly after, M. Chose arrives and asks M. Forfrais for ten thousand francs; the latter tells him that the performance he was hired for has been cancelled and offers to buy his royalties. Then, M. X… visits M. Forfrais and asks for an advance on his royalties. M. Forfrais also suggests for him to drop his share of royalties and tickets for a hundred francs. The young author signs the agreement. M. Chose wishes to modify the play so that his character is constantly on stage; M. Pigetout decides to write to M. X… and asks him to rewrite the play. The play is very successful, but when M. Chose mentions the producers of the performance, he omits the author, who was not even able to see the performance.

Glove-puppet

Lemercier de Neuville Louis

Meals

Stardom

Show

Manipulation

Theatre

Lemercier de Neuville, I Pupazzi. Front cover of the first edition, 1866.

Director of the theatre

Artist

Technician

Treasurer

Actor

Servant

Child

Passer-by

Audience

Situation comedy

Theatre within the theatre

Current affairs

Aside

Criticism of actors' theatre

Address to the public

Le Vrai Bonhomme

The Real Man

Doña Caracolines, the wife of the merchant Don Berrendo, flirts with Infiernillo more than she should. Infiernillo is a shop assistant who writes sentimental poems to court her. The parrot of the house, Hermógenes, observes them. Don Berrendo comes back from his trip sooner than expected. Don Cristóbal gives him the order to clear his name. But as Don Berrendo tries to come closer to the lovers, a strange power stops him. The puppeteer (Titiritero) appears to remind them that they are not the masters of their own movements, but that they are handled by him. An argument starts, with the puppets demanding their independence and fighting for the author’s will against the manipulation of the puppeteer. The puppeteer disappears. Don Cristóbal explains to the audience that this conflict is the same conflict as the one between external reality and the reality invented by art, and he demands that the performance goes on as if nothing had happened. Don Berrendo has regained his freedom of movement and throws himself at Infiernillo. He beats him to death with his stick, accuses his wife of being unfaithful and is preparing to make her suffer the same fate as Infernillo when two Guards appear and stop him. Don Cristóbal discourses on the misfortune caused by women’s romantic desires, but Doña Caracolines tries to seduce him and to give him a kiss. Don Cristóbal resists: he asks for the curtain to fall in order to hide this indecency. Doña Caracolines claims her right to rebel against the author just like Don Cristóbal has rebelled against the Puppeteer. Then she becomes even more affectionate and Don Cristóbal eventually yields to her kisses.

Spain

Valencia

Freedom

Revolt

Puppeteer

Farcical

José Ricardo Morales, Burlilla de don Berrendo. Madrid: Taurus, 1969 (front cover)