The play begins with Colombo (Colombus) sailing the sea with his wife Anarda and their son Fernando. They meet a choir of mermaids, then of tritons, all of which are taken away by Fortuna. The ship berths at Motenzuma, the capital of Peru. Tendilla, daughter of Ginacra, the king of Peru, advocates against welcoming the foreigners. Her lover Guascarre speaks against his wife’s empty fears. Ginacra sends him to the ships to meet the strangers, who have brought presents. When the Court and the strangers meet, Colombo fears that his wife Anarda will be tempted; she assures him that she is faithful. Their son falls in love with Tendilla. The servant Giumbè is leading two camels carrying many gifts. This is followed by a dance of monkeys trying to imitate human dances. Ginacra wooes Anarda. As she rejects him, he tries to force Colombo to give his wife to him. The two husbands ask for Guascarre’s help, although he himself is jealous of Fernando. Taken to the temple to be sacrificed, Anarda accepts her coming death—to prove her love for Colombo. Trying to make her change her mind, Ginacra turns her into a goddess: faced with a renewed rejection, he takes her to prison. Colombo is set on dying for his wife. Fernando asks Tendilla to intercede with the tyrant on behalf of his mother. The interlude stages the European nations dressed in colourful costumes. At night, Anarda is waiting in her cell for her husband to save her: Colombo arrives, carrying a torch, and with Giumbè’s help manages to see Anarda. Ginacra also arrives at the prison. Anarda pretends to like him and suggests that he kills Colombo in a duel, to win her love. Colombo hears the end of the conversation, displays jealousy and tries to kill himself at his wife’s feet. She prevents him from doing so and explains her plan to fight, disguised as him. Tendilla declares her love to Fernando: as a true gentleman, Guascarre promises his rival mutual love. Colombo cross-dresses and offers to fight the duel in Ginacra’s stead: the fight now opposes Anarda cross-dressed as Colombo, and Colombo cross-dressed as the king’s champion. Hurt by Anarda, Colombo falls to the ground; When she discovers her opponent’s true identity, she faints. Learning about Anarda’s feats, Ginacra decides to leave her alone. Tendilla hesitates between her two suitors: her father decides that she will marry Guascarre, the oldest of the two.

Automaton

Not specified

Ottoboni Pietro

Italy

Rome

Printed

Peru

Geographic discoveries

Explorer

Rivalry in love

Sacrifice

Edifying

Heroic

Fantasy

Pietro Ottoboni, Il Colombo ovvero L'India scoperta, 1690.

Italian

overo L'India scoperta

Christopher Columbus

Wife

Slave

Interpreter

Young woman

King

Prince

Lady-in-waiting

Mermaid

Interlude

Chorality

Thwarted love

Love rivalry

Boat mounted on wheels

Clouds

Board meeting

Sleeping character

Night scene

Spying scene

Fall of a character

Release of a prisoner

Sword fight

Duel scene

Disguised character (false identity)

Character mistaken as a member of the other sex

Final wedding

Il Colombo

The Docteur (Doctor) and Marinette are castaways on an island, where they pretend to be mute and have been asked to guard Grazinde – a virgin girl who must be sacrificed to a monster called Endriague. Elfridérigelpot – the son of the sacrificer Caudaguliventer – lets them flee because he wants to keep Grazinde for himself. But he cannot save her in the end: the genius Popocambechatabalipa holds Grazinde prisoner in the Endriague’s stomach. The Genius turns the indigenous population to stone as a punishment for doing such sacrifices. A new castaway, Arlequin, tries to revive them, without success. The Génie (Genie) tasks him with fetching Espadavantellados the knight, who will free Grazinde and break the spell. The Endriague appears and swallows Arlequin, but he manages to escape. At Arlequin’s request, the spell is removed from Scaramouche, who was turned to stone, and Scaramouche roams the town. With the help of Arlequin, Espadavantellados the knight fights the Endriague and frees Grazinde. The islanders are revived, but in order to fully break the spell, the knight must touch the part where their hand was at the time they were petrified.

Costume puppet

Piron Alexis

France

Paris

Monster

Human turned into a statue

Enchantment

Theaters of the Parisian fairs

Knighthood

Comical

French

Arlecchino

Scaramouche

Il Dottore (Commedia dell'arte)

Marinette

Prosecutor

Daughter

Terpsichore

Metamorphosis

Speechless character

Archaic speech

L'Endriague

The Endriague

Méduse (Medusa) petrified most of the king Céphée’s (Cepheus) subjects. Mérope, the sister of the queen Cassiope (Cassiopeia), is in love with Persée (Perseus), but she must compete with her niece Andromède (Andromeda), who rejects the advances of her uncle Phinée (Phineus). At Cassiope’s request, everyone prays to Juno, but the latter shows them anger in return. Céphée and Cassiope tell Phinée that his rival Persée promised to cut Méduse’s head. Andromède tells Persée that she must marry Phinée, while she simultaneously confesses her love to him. Mercure (Mercury) appears and tells Persée that Jupiter will help him by giving him magical weapons. Mercure puts Méduse to sleep so that Persée can cut her head. Idas tells Céphée and Cassiope that their daughter Andromède must be given to a monster. As Persée is setting her free, Phinée kills Mérope, then searches for Andromède: he wants to kill her too but Méduse’s head, brandished by Persée, petrifies him.

Rod and string marionette

Carolet Denis

Manuscript

Unrequited love

Love

Incest

Parodistic

Polichinelle Persée, manuscript, Soleinne collection, Bibliothèque nationale de France (Ms FF 9313)

Perseus

Polichinelle

Cepheus

Pierrot

Phinée

Cassiopeia

Andromeda

Mercury

Medusa

Love story

Apparition of a god

Aria

Monologue

Polichinelle Persée

Polichinelle Perseus

Alcide (Alcides) is in love with Alceste (Alcestis) and grieves when she marries Admète (Admetus). Straton learns that Céphise is leaving him, since she loves Licas now. Lycomède (Lycomedes), another character in love with Alceste, is planning a party in honour of the newly-wed—Admète and Alceste. He abducts Alceste, taking her to his ship guarded by his sister Thétis, who unleashes a tempest soon stopped by Eole (Aeolus). Licomède holds Alceste captive, but Alcide and Admète arrive with an army to set her free. The assailants win the battle, but Admète is mortally wounded. Apollon (Apollo) announces that he will come back to life if someone agrees to die in his stead: Alceste decides to sacrifice herself. Alcide makes her cross the Styx. Pluton (Pluto) does not care about Alceste’s sacrifice. Alcide arrives and asks for Alceste; she is handed back to him. Licas and Straton ask Céphise to choose between them, then the three of them agree that you should not marry if you want to stay in love. At first, Alcide wants to assert his rights over Alceste; however, he renounces when he witnesses the sorrow of the two lovers: he gives Alceste back to Admète.

Heroism

Kidnapping

Battle

Siege

Grief

Descent into hell

Trap

Greek mythology

Immortality

Hercules

Alcestis

Admetus

Lycomedes

Lychas

Thétis

Eole

Apollo

Pluto

Charon

Shadow

Combattant

Choir

Comical regional accent

Spectacular turn of events

Metatheatre

Ballet

Song

Final song

Alceste

Victor is in love with Clémence, the daughter of the Baron de Fritzierne. Moreover, a long time ago, Victor was found in the forest by the Baron de Fitzierne and raised like his own son. Victor reveals to Clémence that he is not her brother. Clémence is thrilled and believes that they can finally marry. However, Victor wants to run away: he is afraid to ask the Baron for Clémence’s hand, for he is convinced that, without wealth, we will never get his consent. Forban, a bandit, gives Victor a letter that was meant for the Baron, and assures him that it can save his life. Meanwhile, Clémence has revealed everything to her father, who now wants to see Victor. Together, the Baron, Clémence, and Victor read the letter sent by Roger, the leader of the bandits. A few days before, the Baron’s men freed Madame Germain, a woman captured by Roger. The latter now demands that the Baron bring her back to him within twenty four hours, or he will seek revenge. The Baron refuses to yield and asks for his army to be prepared to face Roger. The Baron puts Victor to the test: to marry Clémence, he will have to prove that his parents are honest and honourable people, even if they are poor. The battle starts. Victor fights Roger, but Madame Germain intervenes and saves the bandits’ leader. The Baron asks for explanations. The truth comes out: Roger is actually Victor’s father, and Madame Germain was the friend of his mother Adèle. Adèle had entrusted Madame Germain with a mission: to save her son. Madame Germain had then kidnapped Victor and let him in the forest, where he was found by the Baron. When he had discovered this, Roger, enraged, had killed Adèle. The Baron gives Victor one last chance: if he convinces his father to stop his criminal activities, he will marry Clémence. Victor finds Roger and tells him that he is his son. Roger refuses to give up his lifestyle, even though he loves him. In the end, he sacrifices himself to protect Victor and Clémence when the camp is attacked. Fatally wounded, he asks the Baron in his last breath to not judge Victor because of his lineage, and to approve his union with Clémence.

String marionette

All audiences

Family

Escape

Friendship

Mysterious letter

Threat

Army

Combat

Relationship between father and son

Forgiveness

Honour

Melodramatic

Leader

Brigand

Baron

Young man

Old man

Lieutenant

Officer

Soldier

Lady

Revelation

Letter

Off-stage voice

Aside

Off-stage noise

Battle cries with several voices

Off-stage combat

Fight to the death

Death on stage

Victor ou l'Enfant de la forêt

Victor or the Child of the forest

Isabella complains about being in the countryside to her husband Leandro. Her sister Bellinda downplays the situation. Petronio, their father, has been going through some financial difficulties but he announces that things are looking up and that they may be able to go back to the city. As he leaves, Isabella asks him to bring back clothes and jewels for her, and Bellinda only asks for a rose bush. After several misadventures, Petronio and his servant Gerolamo arrive in a nice place where a table is set, but no one is around it. They eat, drink, sleep, and find the horses ready for departure. As he walks through the garden, Petronio wants to get a rose bush for Bellinda, but thunder breaks out. The monster Azor, the owner of the place, tells Petronio that he is an ungrateful thief and that he will pay for it with his life, unless one of his daughters sacrifices herself to save him. Petronio relates what happened to his daughters. Bellinda decides to follow him and to sacrifice herself to save him. They arrive at Azor's palace and eat. Azor asks Bellinda if she came here willingly. Her father does not want her to stay, but she does anyway. A fairy reassures them. The monster is ugly but kind: he wants Bellinda to keep him company. However, she sees in the mirror that, back home, her father is ill. With Azor’s permission, she leaves but promises to be back soon. Unfortunately, Isabella, jealous of her sister’s wealth, holds her up. Sad and disappointed, Azor hides. Bellinda finds him and tells him that she wants to marry him. The curse under which he was breaks, and, thanks to Bellinda’s love, he turns back into a handsome prince. He brings Petronio and Gerolamo to his gorgeous palace, and relegates Isabella and her husband to a tower.

Honesty

Greed

Promise

Il mostro torchino (Tipografia Fratelli Miglio)

Father

Sister

Husband

Servant

Gerolamo

Fairy

Thunderbolt

Dinner scene

Il mostro torchino o Bellinda ed Azor ossia La Virtù premiata

The turquoise monster, or Bellinda and Azor or the rewarded virtue

Admeto (Admetus), ill and dying, goes to see the oracle of Giove (Jupiter) in order to learn how to stay alive: he can only survive if someone dies in his stead. His wife Alceste (Alcestis) is the only one who accepts to die for him. Ercole (Heracles) asks for the hospitality of the court of Admeto, and there he narrates his labours. He promises his host that he will bring Alceste back from the underworld. Accompanied by the servant Faggiolino, Ercole descends to the underworld, where he kills several antagonists, and asks Plutone (Pluto) to bring Alceste back to life. Because Plutone refuses, Ercole kidnaps Alceste. Back on Earth, Ercole, Faggiolino and Alceste are welcomed with a sumptuous feast, and Faggiolino is promoted Great of the court.

Glove-puppet

Cuccoli Angelo

Bologna

Handwritten summary

Death resurrected

con Faggiolino spaventato dai mostri infernali

Queen

Héraklès

Proteus

Fagiolino

Priest

Proserpina

Death

Cerberus

Oracle

Prayer

Pyrotechnics

Fighting a monster

Change of social status

Ercole all'Inferno

Hercules in the Underworld

Thieves threaten a young man, Pine, on a beach. James Flaunty comes to his aid. Sent by Captain Gig, Lieutenant Florry proposes to Flaunty to navigate, for a hefty sum of money, their vessel towards the Spiting Devil ship since he has good knowledge of the area. Nance, the daughter of the captain, warns of the danger of this mission, but Flaunty insists that the money will allow him to marry her. A pirate from the Spitting Devil comes across Flaunty and asks him to give him Captain Gig's men in exchange for an even greater sum of money. After a moment of hesitation, Flaunty accepts. Pine, who overheard the conversation, pleads with Flaunty to bring him back after the battle since he has been trying to return to Ireland for several years. The standoff doesn't go as expected, and Flaunty is accused of plotting against Captain Gig. He is sentenced to death and asks to be executed on the banks of a creek at sunset. Pine pretends to be responsible for the alliance with the pirates and sacrifices his life for Flaunty, who is liberated.