Pierrot has just arrived in the Underworld after being hanged. Pluton (Pluto) tasks him with judging newcomers. Pythagore (Pythagoras), a Poète (Poet), a Financier, a Coquette, an Actrice d’Opéra (Opera Actress) and a Médecin (Doctor) go before him. Each is put in an unexpected group (the comedians for Pythagore, the false witnesses for the Poète, the coach drivers for the financier, etc.).

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

France

Paris

Printed summary

Hell

Judge

Judgment

Rivalry of theatres

Life of the theatres

Swindling

Medicine

Comical

Satirical

Manuscrit of Pierrot arbitre (BnF, Ms Fr 9313).

French

Pierrot

Pluto

Pythagoras

Poet

Financier

Coquette

Actress

Physician

Play with drawers

Final song

Surprise effect

Aria

Pierrot arbitre

Pierrot arbitrator

The fisherman Colin finds a golden vase in his nets. The genie Elemaliga is imprisoned inside it. As a gesture of gratitude for having delivered him, Elemaliga bestows magical powers to Colin. With this magical help, Colin triumphs over his rival Philippe, recovers the fortune he should have inherited and marries Lisbette.

Body shadows

Marion de Salins Pierre

Printed

Wedding

Love

Fishing

Seduction

Inheritance

Fantasy

L'Heureuse Pêche, cover page

Comédie pour les ombres à scènes changeantes

Fisherman

Peasant (man)

Genie

Apparition of a genie

Disappearance

Love rivalry

Song

Invisible character

L'Heureuse Pêche

The Happy Catch

Rugantino is crying because he has just had three children, and a Gypsy woman has predicted that the first would be killed, that the second would kill and that the third would steal. A Genie with wings (a puppet with two wings of a hen) appears and asks him why he is distressed. Once he knows the reason, the Genie gives him advice so that his children do not head for trouble, even if the prophecy turns out to be true. The first will become a soldier so that his death is a source of honour; the second will become a doctor, so that he can kill without anyone reproaching him; the last will become a pork butcher, a job which will allow him to steal without being caught. Rugantino approves of this advice enthusiastically and relates that the pork butcher standing next to him and who is watching the show has indeed stolen from him in the morning of this very day, by selling him two slices of dried sausage for the same price as two whole saucissons. The audience hisses at the pork butcher, who runs and seeks refuge in his shop, which he closes, fearing that people will throw stones and destroy it.

Glove-puppet

Santangelo Gaetano (aka Ghetanaccio)

Italy

Rome

Printed excerpts

Cold cuts

Trade

Romanesco

Rugantino

Allusion to the audience

[Rugantino e il pizzicarolo]

Rugantino and the pork butcher

The rich Niflanguille goes to buy a bag of coal. He comes across the hungry Pierrot, who asks for his help in vain. The coalman cheats Niflanguille out of the weight of the bag. Pierrot hides in the bag and beats up the coalman, Niflanguille and the servant. Back home, Niflanguille looks for a sword to pierce the recalcitrant bag, but Pierrot gets it out in time and forces the servant to take his place. While Niflanguille pierces the bag and his servant with it, Pierrot runs away with a bag of money. A Gendarme wants to hang Niflanguille for murder, Pierrot for theft and the coalman for swindling. Pierrot kills the Gendarme and puts him in the sack, which he throws away, while Niflanguille flees through the window. Pierrot kills the coalman to avoid sharing the money, then orders wine which he pays for by beating the innkeeper with a stick. The Commissaire arrives with Niflanguille; he hangs Pierrot, but confiscates the money to punish the bad rich man.

All audiences

Duranty Louis Émile Edmond

Charcoal

Hunger

Poverty

Deception

Contempt

Punishment

Money

Bad rich

Farcical

Didactic

Coal merchant

Domestic servant

Constable

Police Superintendant

Hidden character

Running gag

Blow-with-a-stick

Hanging scene

Le Sac de charbon

The Bag of Coal

The wealthy Cassandre is so distressed by his son Pierrot’s foolishness and insolence that he is willing to spend a fortune on a private tutor. Polichinelle is hired, but his poor lessons in obedience, geography, arithmetics, moral and fencing turn Pierrot into a brawler, drinker, liar and thief who ends up hanged after having cheated the tavern keeper Arlequin and beating up the Gendarme (Constable). When Cassandre asks Polichinelle for explanations about his son’s death, Polichinelle beats him to death with a stick. When Arlequin denounces Polichinelle as Pierrot’s accomplice, Polichinelle kills the Gendarme who has come to arrest him. He is carried off by the Diable (Devil).

Relationship between father and son

Silliness

Cheekiness

Education

Lesson

Polichinelle

Arlecchino

Devil

Slaps

Headbutt

Final intervention of the devil

Characterisation through onomatopoeia

Polichinelle précepteur

Polichinelle private tutor

Fleeing his wife, Polichinelle steals a charlatan's cabriolet with Pierrot. First he wins the trust of the population with free advice, then he launches a subscription for a phantom financial company. When the shareholders demand their money, he sends them away with good words and blows, until the Public itself comes to threaten him directly. Mrs. Polichinelle offers to take care of the punishment. Terrified, Polichinelle flees into the forest. Abandoned by Pierrot, he walks to Hell. There, he tries to swindle Death and stands up to the Devil who, in desperation, goes looking for Mrs. Polichinelle. She brings her husband home firmly, with the approval of the audience.

Forest

Public

Perseverance in Evil

Capitalism

Bossy woman

Escape

Ironic

Le Charlatan

Charlatan

Crook

Tenant

Lady

Cassandre

Cassandra

Shopkeeper

Colombine

Valet

Death

Intervention of the audience

Apparition of the Devil

Plot twist

Apparition of Death

L'Homme au cabriolet

the man with a cabriolet

While all poor people on the outskirts of Munich deposit their savings in Adele Spitzeder's bank, sometimes even selling their businesses to live on their income, Kasperl is looking for a job. Through his brother Baldhauser (also known as Baldes), a door-to-door salesman, he was placed as a doorman at Adele Spitzeder's house. He introduces the bank's customers to the bank office, where she receives them with her proverbial frankness. But at the end of his first day on the job, the police come and arrest the banker for fraud and close the place down: Kasperl beats down the poor people who come to claim their money. The fourth act or epilogue is a picture of country life: following a quarrel with his wife, Kasperl's other brother, Melchior, goes drinking with the town crier. Kasperl and Baldes enter the stage to conclude the play with a song.

String marionette

Gailler Gabriel

Germany

Munich

Scandal

Stock exchange

Bank

Embezzlement

Bavaria

Beer

Politics

Society

Peasantry

Popular class

People

Misery

Bankruptcy

German

Marionettenspiel um einen Münchner Finanzskandal im Jahre 1873

Waiter

Shepherd

Police officer

Employé municipal

Kasperl

Flying machine

Spectacular turn of events

Inn scene

Catastrophe

Conversation

Political allegory

Slang

Argument

Dialect as a social marker

Caricature

Brawl

Adele Spitzeder

In a prologue, the pirate Willie McGowan expresses his love for pillaging ships and their treasures. Yet he is weary of being assaulted by warships since the thieves generally attack in the morning when everyone is asleep. Many men die, and the pirates' only booty is a few bottles of rum. Thus, Willie decides to give up his ship and to return to his hometown to take up a less depressing occupation. Three years go by, and Willie leads a contented life. He works on a boat, the Gleaner, and is well-paid. The ship's owner, Old Henderson, asks him to accompany migrants who want to go to America. Willie refuses; the Gleaner, he believes, will sink after three days at sea. Old Henderson tries to convince him that if the ship sinks, he could return on a sailboat stored onboard. He would be paid a handsome sum as the migrants have already paid their fares. Willie again responds with a no as he does not want to deceive the passengers. Old Henderson accuses him of cowardice and no longer being the pirate he once was. Jessie Henderson, his daughter, encourages Willie to go after the money since she could not possibly marry a poor man. Old Henderson finally decides to make the crossing with his daughter; he dreamt he would find treasure in the old garden near the Point, and he interpreted this as a good omen. Willie digs in the spot Old Henderson described and finds the treasure. The master of the crew, Bosun Hardbite, announces that all have survived the sea journey, except Old Henderson and his daughter.

Toy theatre

Young audiences

Ireland

Strete

Wicklow

Piracy

Migrant

Treasure

Renunciation

Shipwreck

Humorous

Dramatic

English

Willie McGowan / The Man Hunter of the Gulf

Pirate

Sailor

Emigrant

Daughter

Singer

Narrator

Trap

The Treasure of the Garden

Le Trésor du jardin

Ottavio worries about the health of his uncle Geronte: he is hoping to inherit from him and to marry the young Isabella. Geronte asks Ottavio if he knows Eugenia’s daughter, Isabella, but he only asks to let him know that he is planning on marrying her. Eugenia and her daughter arrive, but Isabella does not want to marry Geronte and have to bear his children. Ottavio asks Eugenia to honour the contract between them and to terminate the one with Geronte. They do so, provided that Ottavio is effectively designated as Geronte’s heir. Two doctors, Pantalone and Arlecchino, arrive to give their opinion on Geronte’s health, and to prescribe the best medicine. They both argue and accidentally drop Geronte. Meanwhile, Facanapa and Ottavio are waiting for the lawyers when Lisetta, the maid, rushes in to ask for help, and tell them that Geronte is dead. Facanapa wants to convince everyone that Geronte is still alive: he dresses up and replaces him to sign the will in front of the lawyers. As Geronte, he appoints Ottavio as his heir and leaves different bequests to Lisetta and Facanapa (himself). But Geronte regains consciousness. The lawyers come back and read the will, which is contested by Geronte. When faced with proof of the fraud, Facanapa and Ottavio ask for forgiveness. Geronte forgives them, confirms the will and agrees to Isabella and Ottavio’s wedding.