M. Prudhomme visits Madame Benoiton and asks for her youngest daughter’s hand for his son. At first, Madame Benoiton mistakes him for a merchant. Once his identity cleared up, Madame Benoiton suggests for them to talk and to get to know each other. During their conversation, she questions him on famous personalities and authors such as Victorien Sardou, Poquelin, Dumas fils, Octave Feuillet, Émile de Girardin, Ponson du Terrail and Timothée Trimm. The conversation, now light and mundane, is punctuated by dances: Madame Benoiton seems charmed by M. Prudhomme, thanks to his manners and his answers. M. Prudhomme does his best to give a good impression and assures that “like father like son”. The conversation continues with lots of compliments and mutual gallant remarks. In the end, they agree to the wedding. However, as he is about to leave, M. Prudhomme’s aside reveals that none of what he said is what he really thought.

Glove-puppet

Not specified

Lemercier de Neuville Louis

France

Paris

Printed

Discussions

Bourgeoisie

Wedding

Current events

Life of the theatres

Comical

Satirical

Lemercier de Neuville, illustration for Les Fourberies de M. Prudhomme, 1868.

French

Bourgeois

Monsieur Prudhomme

Woman of the bourgeoisie

Aside

Sung scenes

Music

Current affairs

Address to the public

False exit

Les Fourberies de M. Prudhomme

M. Prudhomme’s Trickeries

Mademoiselle (Miss) Félicité, a foreign doctoral student, pays a visit to Morched – a master puppeteer – to buy his puppets. Her request is categorically denied because, in Morched’s eyes, puppetry is ancestral work. However, after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the authorities censored traditional Iranian culture and Morched is forbidden from practicing his trade. In spite of this prohibition, he decides to use his puppets one last time to tell the love story between Pahlévâne and Sarvé-Nâz Khânome, which will soon be made impossible because of the Mullahs, who support their friend Mobârak (“a mischievous servant”). Unable to destroy his puppets, Morched – just before he dies – decides to entrust them to Mademoiselle Félicité, who will be able to keep the memory of his work alive.

Actor and puppet

Puppeteer

Puppets

Student

Love

Power

Transmission

Religion

Daily life

Bans

Political context

Death

Epic

Dramatic

Frédéric de Manassein, cover art for Mémoires d'une marionnette.

Journal d'une marionnette

Wife

Servant

Mobârak

Young man

Monster

Horse

King

Prince

Priest

Young woman

Herald

Guard

Deux Balayeurs, Torch-Ali Bak et Chirin-ali Bak (jumeaux)

Twins

Eunuch

Vehicle

Ambassador

Quelques Dignitaires civils et militaires

Dancer

Mise-en-abyme

Dialog between a puppet and its puppeteer

Comedy of language

Comic speech

Multi-voice shouting

Allusion to current political events

Versified passages

Monologue

Hands visible

Apparition of a monster

Death on stage

Mémoires d'une marionnette

Memoirs of a puppet