Cassandre is supposed to fight a duel with a sergeant, but he decides to pay Guignol to go in his place. The sergeant, meanwhile, has lost the card Cassandre gave him, so he cannot remember the location of the duel or the name of his opponent. Guignol then goes to see him and challenges him to a duel. During the confrontation, Guignol pretends to be killed. But when the sergeant returns to the room, Guignol jumps out and stabs him in the back. A fight breaks out, interrupted by two 'gendarmes' (policemen). Guignol then accuses the sergeant of trying to kill him and the latter is arrested.

Glove-puppet

Not specified

Josserand père Louis

France

Lyon

Manuscript

Duel

Neighbourhood

Money

Father-daughter relationship

Theatre

Gallantries

Lesson

Cunning

Deception

Fighting

Police (French gendarmerie)

Jail

Comical

French

Le Duel

Guignol

Sergeant

Father

Constable

Monologue

Comedy of language

Brawl

Duel scene

Situation comedy

Fake death

Final song

Music

Le Duel du soldat

he Soldier's Duel

In Trépagny-les-Mèches, Piquendaire, the innkeeper, displays his support for the candidate Manandar, and despises his rival Tringlet, whom he describes as a « radical, labourer ». At the same time, the street performer Conquenbois, dressed as Hercules, gives a street performance with his assistant Eloa. After their performance, Piquendaire gets ready to welcome Manandar in his hotel, but gets confused and welcomes Balandard instead, accompanied by Ida and Céleste. Settled in the hotel, Balandard meets Coquenbois and Eloa, and invites them to dinner. Piquendaire, convinced that he is destined for a prestigious job, is in charge of bringing a candidate to an important dinner. During the reception, Balandard is invited to give a speech, but he confesses that he is not Manandar. However, the guests do not realise their mistake. Finally, Balandard introduces the « real » candidate: Coquenbois. Tringlet recognises the street performer immediately, but Coquenbois challenges him to a duel and is victorious, thus becoming the favourite in the elections.

Maurice Sand (Maurice Sand)

Nohant

Printed

Elections

Politics

Artiste

Dinner

Satirical

Eugène Lambert, George Sand, Maurice Sand : puppet of Coquenbois.

Le Candidat

Director of the theatre

Balandard

Street performer

Innkeeper

Worker

Domestic servant

Actor

General director

Mayor

Fireman

Actress

Lady

Maid

Counselor

Citizen

Musician

Aside

Misunderstanding

Comic speech

Aria

Theatre within the theatre

Le Candidat de Trépagny

The Candidate from Trépagny

The action is set in Châteauroux in 1875. Friturin the innkeeper is going away for a few days, leaving his wife Ursule alone with two servants, Jean and Mariette. A female traveller, Corisande, arrives at the inn but has to share a room with Madame Friturin. Another traveller, Balandard, claims a bed in a shared room that happens to be the one where Corisande sleeps. Balandard cannot sleep because of the snoring of “his neighbour”, and, not knowing that it is actually Corisande, he shakes her up. Thinking that the aggression comes from Madame Friturin, Corisande protests. After quarrelling, they switch beds. Jean, who is in charge of waking up Corisande so that she can take her diligence, gets confused and wakes up Balandard. Corisande misses her diligence and because she believes that Madame Friturin is next to her, she accuses her of not having woken her up. Eventually, the misunderstanding is revealed. Balandard agrees to drive Corisande to La Châtre after having slept. When Monsieur Friturin comes back sooner than expected, he finds a man in his wife’s bed. While this happens, a fire sets off in the inn.

Couple

Journey

Night

Conflagration

Ironic

Eugène Lambert, George Sand, Maurice Sand : Corisande puppet

Les Oignons de Jeu-Maloche, Une nuit à la Tête de veau

Police Superintendant

Valet

Traveller

Wife

Word warping

Une nuit à Châteauroux

A Night in Châteauroux

The first scene is set in the infirmary of a prisoner camp in Germany, at midnight, during the First World War. A French prisoner thinks about his lost loved ones: his wife, his son Jean (a pilot who died in combat), and his grand-children who were left orphans. At that moment arrives the Lune (Moon), “the Queen of Dreams”; she takes him to the land of dreams, and shows him a nursery in Hostiaz.
The second scene introduces an Ours en peluche (teddy Bear) sleeping on a child’s bed. The Lune addresses the Ours and during their conversation we learn that the Ours is in fact a shady businessman who fled to South America after ruining his shareholders. In vain, the Lune tries to convince the Ours to return the stolen money (represented by a diamond hidden in the Ours’ belly). She then starts sharing her heartbreaks: she is in love with Paul, a pilot who was amputated of both his legs. Having learnt of the Lune’s wealthiness, the Ours offers his services to help her gain the Aviateur’s (Pilot’s) love.
Paul opens the third scene, which is set in a living room, where he is with another character, the Rhabilleur (Clock restorer). The Lune tries to seduce Paul but he is the object of the Ours’ mockeries because he received a break-up letter from his fiancée. The Ours tries, in vain, to convince Paul to find comfort with the Lune. We learn that Paul is the brother-in-law of Jean, the dead pilot and son of the prisoner who appeared in the first scene.
A certain Rhodô, who is in love with Jean, took care of the children. The Ours decides to marry Paul to Rhodô because he is attracted to her, but she stays faithful to Jean. The Ours then tries to kiss Rhodô to get hold of her wallet. This triggers a general fight during which the Ours, with his belly ripped open, lets the diamond slip – it explodes in a blinding light. As the sun rises, all the characters run away. 
The fourth scene starts. All the puppets are on the main road. The Ours feels light now that he is rid of the diamond. The Choeur (Choir) and Rhodô teach Paul how to float in the air like a kite. A black dwarf arrives, driving a car. The puppets all climb into the car and drive off to a world beyond. 
The play ends at dawn with the Prisonnier (Prisoner) waking up. After having experienced the bliss of mystical freedom in his dream, he is now condemned to go back to this “eternal captivity”.

All audiences

Brazil

Paris

Dream

Adventure

Moon

Bear

Love

Rivalry in love

Renunciation

Freedom

Philosophical tale

Fantastic

Cover for the first edition: La Nouvelle Revue française, Gaston Gallimard, Paris, 1919.

Personification

Illusory world

Dreamt scene

Love rivalry

Song

Ascent to heaven

L'Ours et la lune

The Bear and the Moon

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.

Le Duel du soldat

Le Candidat de Trépagny

Une nuit à Châteauroux

L'Ours et la lune

Der unsterbliche Kasperl

Ein Spiel für das Hanswursttheater