The Earth being in a near-apocalyptic state after several wars, the survivors seek universal reconciliation and want to create a world in which everyone will be happy, albeit identical and average. Pierrot arrives; the song he is singing about the Moon stirs up a desire for military conquest. When they land on the Moon, the Terriens (Earthlings) are so well received that they do not dare speak of their plan of conquering the Moon; instead, they forsake war once and for all. Mutual visits are planned: the Lunariens (a made-up word for “residents of the Moon”) will come to the next Chicago Fair.

Shadow theatre

Not specified

Utrillo Miquel

France

Paris

États-Unis

Chicago

Printed summary

Science fiction

Peace

Happiness

Monotony

Uniformity

Boredom

Journey

Poetry

Party

Procession

Visit

Universal Exposition

Social harmony

Moon

Conquest of space

Invention

Satirical

Programme of the Théâtre des ombres parisiennes, Columbian World's Fair, Chicago, 1893.

French

Pierrot

Inhabitants on the moon

Opposite worlds

Plot twist

Song

La Conquête de la lune

The Conquest of the Moon

Convinced that there are people on the Moon, Pulcinella wonders where they are hiding. The Moon invites him to go to her on a funicular ship. He meets the lunatic Beniamino, who explains that everyone is terrorised and has been hiding since the American astronaut came. This astronaut claims that the Moon belongs to him, and he wants to kill Pulcinella. But Pulcinella sends him back to earth with a blow of a stick. Beniamino asks Pulcinella to look after a dead grandfather, who turns out to be a very beautiful baby. Death convinces Pulcinella to be his baby and sings him lullabies so that he falls asleep, but Pulcinella wakes up and fights Him. A monstrous dog plays with Pulcinella, but he is frightened when the cloned ewe Dolly bites him. Pulcinella kills Dolly and, as a reward, Beniamino offers him his wife Carlotta. Pulcinella chooses instead to marry their daughter Teresina, and he goes back to earth with her.

Glove-puppet

All audiences

Leone Bruno

Italy

Naples

Palermo

Electronic text

Cosmic journey

Love

Astronaut

America

Flag

Topsy-turvy world

Unfaithfulness

Cloning

Ugliness

Old age

Parodistic

Italian

Pulcinella e i lunatici

Pulcinella

Death

Teresina

Disguised character (false identity)

Scene of madness

Dialect

Dance

Lazzi

Fight

Fight with an animal

Blow-with-a-stick

Pulcinella di ritorno dalla Luna

Pulcinella back on the Moon