The show begins with a ballet by the Angels, who kneel before God. Then Mestre-Salas and Padre Chancas talk in a comic way. In the Garden of Eden, God creates the light, the Sun and the Moon, that all quarrel to determine which one of them is the most important. God creates Adam and Eve, then plants and animals. He asks the couple not to touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil under any circumstances. The snake tempts Eve, who bites into the apple of the tree, then has Adam taste it too. God discovers their violation and throws Adam, Eve and the Snake out of paradise. On earth, Adam and Eve live in poverty – Adam works the land and Eve spins wool. Adam is angry and accuses Eve of having caused their misery and he hits her while she insults him. Adam asks for God’s forgiveness. Adam and Eve’s sons, Abel and Cain, make offerings to God. Cain envies God’s preference for his brother and makes fun of Abel (who wets himself out of fear) before killing him. Abel’s corpse is carried into Heaven by the Angels. Eve loses her temper with Cain, who insults her, shows no remorse and defies God. The latter curses Cain by making him all black and damning him. Even in Hell, Cain continues to brag, and he makes fun of demons. He cheats while playing cards again the Devil. The show ends with a gag: a voice in the wings relates that a banger popped in the room and tore a hole in the pants of a member of the audience.

Single rod marionettes

Double-faced head

Not specified

Portugal

Borba

Évora

Printed

Genesis

Original sin

Future punishment

Hell

Bible

Adam

Abel

Cain

Angel

Religious

Comical

Farcical

Fantasy

The Ballet of Angels by the Bonecos de Santo Aleixo

Portuguese

God (monotheism)

Choir

Moon

Vicar

Barker

The Interpreter

Demiurge

Snake

Devil

Spinner

Play in verse

Sung scenes

Off-stage voice

Murder on stage

Sarabande

Blow-with-a-stick

Ascent to heaven

Explosion

Animal cry

Pyrotechnics

Aside

Change of head on sight

Comical regional accent

Word warping

Lazzi

Kicking on the ground (sound effect)

Auto da Criação do Mundo

Auto of the Creation of the World

The widow Werner lives with her young son Ludwig in misery: a sad Christmas is coming. To surprise her son, Mrs Werner goes out to buy a small pine tree and some apples. In her absence, Ludwig writes a letter to baby Jesus, asking for an illustrated Bible: he throws the letter out of the window addressing it to the angels. On Christmas morning, a package is delivered containing the Bible he asked for. The donor is Friedrich Walter, an old friend of the deceased Karl Werner: he has just returned from a long trip to the Orient and is inquiring at the police station about the widow's address, when some officers tell him of the amusing discovery of Ludwig's letter. Friedrich Walter takes the widow and child under his protection.

String marionette

Young audiences

Pocci Franz von

Germany

Munich

Poverty

Reading

Education

Hanswurst

Kasperl

Childhood

Crib

Piety

Sentimentalism

Social realism

Christmas

Realist

Pathetic

German

Metatheatre

Monologue

Letter

Transforming scenery

Chorus

Deus ex machina

Der Weihnachts-Brief

Christmas Letter

Doctor Sassafras is pleased to have a client as hypochondriac as Steinreich. This rich and selfish man forbids his niece Marie from continuing to see his secretary Schreiber, whom he dismisses. Steinreich envisions a more beneficial match for his niece. Doctor Sassafras makes a deal with the devil to summon Death. Schreiber then attempts suicide, but a gravedigger saves him, as Death is detained in Sassafras’ enchanted chair. The Devil realises that his pact with Sassafras is detrimental to him and breaks their contract. Death comes fetch the doctor, who turns to God and hopes for His mercy. In the meantime, Steinreich converted: he has become charitable and, most importantly, no longer opposes Marie and Schreiber’s union.