Satan and the Anges rebelles (Rebel Angels) are trying to go back to heaven, but they are defeated and repelled into the abyss by the Archange Michel (Archangel Michael). The Verbe (Word; God) appears and creates the planets. In the underworld, the Anges rebelles are planning their revenge: they gather riches and have a palace built. Satan finds out that Dieu (God) is going to create l’Homme (Man) and he wants to cause his downfall. He manages to escape Hell and to go to the physical World. In the Terrestrial Paradise, Ève, tempted by Satan posing as a snake, convinces Adam to eat the Fruit from the Tree of knowledge. The two are driven out of Paradise. Carried to a mountain by an Ange (Angel), Adam sees the future in a dream—episodes from the Old Testament, the birth and death of Jesus, the Last Judgment. The last tableau shows the Almighty God on his throne.

Automaton

Not specified

Josse Pierre-Charles

France

Paris

Printed summary

Bible

Evil

Revolt

Fall

Creation of the world

Hell

Heaven

Temptation

Religious

L'Origine du monde et la chute du premier homme, 1763 (page 1)

French

Satan

Devil

Saint Michael

Angel

God (monotheism)

Beelzebub

Architect

Mammon

Death

Time

Dreams

Adam

Gabriel

Pharaoh

Solomon

Nabuchodonosor

Jesus

Allegory

Apparition

Fight

Avista

Flying machine

Disguised character (false identity)

Dream

L'Origine du monde et la chute du premier homme

The Origin of the world of the fall of the first man

The lazy Kasperl is elected chancellor and makes ridiculous suggestions to solve administrative problems. He encounters Death who takes him to a court where it must be decided whether Kasperl will go to heaven or to hell. Kasperl's stupidity saves him from eternal suffering. He wakes up: it was only a dream, and he promises to become a better person and to work. He encounters Death again, but this time, Death decides to let Kasperl live.

String marionette

Polgar Alfred

Austria

Vienna

Printed

Laziness

Judgment

Politics

Silliness

Chancellor

Judgment of God

Lawyer

Hunger

Fighting

Anti-Semitism

Soul

Comical

Satirical

Absurd

German

Der unsterbliche Kasperl. Ein Spiel für das Wursteltheater

Ein Spiel für das Hanswursttheater

Kasperl

Neighbour

Emissary

Police Superintendant

Judge

Voice

Passer-by

Physician

Address to the public

Plot twist

Parodic trial

Song

Political allegory

Dialect

Der unsterbliche Kasperl

The immortal Kasperl

Saint Peter comes down to earth to grant three people of his choice the fulfillment of three wishes each. The first, a blacksmith, wishes that anyone who climbs into his pear tree to steal his pears can no longer come down without his permission, that people can only enter his house to disturb him through the keyhole, and that his bag fills with everything he wants to have in it. Peterle, the young boy who assists him at the forge, wishes to see his parents again in paradise, to have health, and to always be in a cheerful mood. Kasperl, in turn, goes to see Saint Peter and obtains that three wishes be granted to him, but asks to consult with his wife Gretl beforehand. However, they are unable to agree. Gretl finally blurts out that she would like sausages, which immediately appear on the table. Out of spite, Kasperl wishes that the sausages hang from his nose, but then he can't get them off, tries to shoot them off with a pistol, and accidentally kills his wife. A policeman arrives, whom he murders by suffocating him in the box where the policeman discovered Gretl's body. When he is about to throw the boxinto the water, the devil emerges, resurrects his wife, and beats him up. Now it is the blacksmith's time to die. Death, with a nail through his skull, comes to see him. The blacksmith asks him to pick a pear for him before following him. Death climbs into the tree and cannot come down until he has promised the blacksmith never to come back to see him again. However, he touches young Peterle, who had laughed at seeing him in such an awkward position, and he enters paradise. Then Death sends the devil to torment the blacksmith, but the latter, in the company of Kasperl, catches him in a bag as he passes through the keyhole and giveshim a severe beating. To avenge the devil, Death waits for Kasperl outside, but he manages to nail his skull to a tree and only releases him on the condition that he leaves him alone from now on too. After theFirst World War, however, neither the blacksmith nor Kasperl have any more taste for life. However, they are refused entry to both Heaven and Hell. The blacksmith then throws his bag over the wall of paradise and wishes to be there himself: he thus deceives Saint Peter. Kasperl has one last wish: he asks for theresurrection of the policeman, so as not to have his death on his conscience any longer. Entry to paradise is finally granted to him, but after a few years of purgatory: he will haveto return to his wife.

Glove-puppet

Rod and string marionette

Rokos August Franz

Czechia

Cheb

Smithy

Devotion

Wishes

Saints

Catholicism

Happiness

Beatitude

Sausage

Cold cuts

Knödel

Tavern

Eternal punishment

Perlike

Police

Assassination

Feminicide

Child

Children--Death

Beer

Vanity

Inflation

Fantasy

Burlesque

Grotesque

Nach einer alten Erzählung für das Kasperltheater bearbeitet

Saint Peter

Blacksmith

Mrs Kasperl

Policeman

Word for another

Versified passages

Domestic scene

Murder on stage

Hidden corpse

Light effects

Naive character deceived

Trap

Der Schmied von Jüterbock und sein Geselle Kasper

The Blacksmith of Jüterbock and his companion Kasper

A Soldier gives his only three coins to a Beggar whom he crosses path with thrice. The latter reveals himself to be SaintPeter. Saint Peter wanted to test the Soldier’s generosity, so he gives him a magical bag which can make all of his wishes come true. In a tavern, the Soldier learns that the Princess Tutu is held prisoner by the Devil in a haunted castle. Thrown out of the tavern after having stolen a turkey and some wine, the Soldier finds shelter for the night in the castle. He captures the Devil thanks to his bag and hands him over to the King. They kill the Devil together. However, the King had granted his daughter’s hand in marriage to Prince Panpan. The Soldier convinces the King to let him marry his daughter instead, and swears to defeat the army of Prince Panpan. Thanks to his magical bag, the Soldier prevails over the army. But Prince Panpan, the King and Princess Tutu, who has become weary of her new husband, unite so that they can kill the Soldier. The Princess tells them of the secret bag. Together, they hang the bag over the ramparts, but they get carried away by the weight of the Soldier and they all crash on the ground. The three characters knock on Heaven’s door, but they are denied access. The Soldier cannot enter Hell because the Devil is scared of him. Saint Peter refuses that he goes to Heaven because he has stolen a turkey and wine. The Soldier gives him the bag back, but he uses the magic spell which sends the four of them into the bag, thus allowing them to go to Heaven. Disconcerted, Saint Peter asks God for help, and God allows the four characters to stay in Heaven despite their misdeeds. Saint Peter wonders what his actual role is.

Young audiences

Magic object

Reward

Rivalry in love

Punishment

Wedding

Revenge

Soldier

Beggar

Innkeeper

Constable

Valet

Prince

Army

Double identity

Change of head on sight

Massacre scene

Night scene

Apparition of the Devil

Apparition of a god

Aria

Crac ! dans le sac !

Crack! In the sack!

In a dark forest, Pulcinella encounters Dante. To get out of the forest, he will have to cross Hell, Purgatory and Paradise. Dante accompanies him in Hell, where Pulcinella meets Caronte (Charon) and fights Cerbero (Cerberus) and several devils. Lucifero (Lucifer) himself comes to drive Pulcinella out of Hell. He can now access Purgatory, where he is accompanied by Diego Maradona. There, he meets several souls that ask him to pray for them: the souls of a soldier, a priest, a prostitute and a guappo (local thug) killed by Pulcinella. He finally meets Death who plays tricks on him using skulls. After defeating Death, Pulcinella can access Paradise, where he is accompanied by Beatrice. In Paradise, Pulcinella wants to eat but San Gennaro explains that holy souls do not eat. As an exception, San Vincenzo Ferrer gives him a meal and Sant’Antonio Abate brings him a cup of coffee. At the end of the play, Pulcinella dances with Beatrice. With the journey over, Pulcinella now looks for his true Paradise: his lover Teresina.