M. Prudhomme goes to the casino with the intention of winning back the dowry of his daughter Vénuska from a hundred sous note that dates back to Louis Philippe’s time. He pretends to have come up with his own foolproof system. When he arrives, he encounters the comedian Lesueur (literally, The-Sweat), a regular of the casino, who says that he adopted all sorts of superstitions to have luck on his side. However, he admits that the day before, luck turned its back on him after he forgot to put a bean in his pocket as a lucky-charm. Later, Lesueur comes back victorious: he finally won! M. Prudhomme advises him to stop here, but Lesueur decides to trade his bean for the leaf of an artichoke, hoping to extend his winning streak. We learn that M. Prudhomme also has some “assets”: he came with Madame Benoiton who is known to always play the number 22 and to win every time. However, she is absent at this very moment. Shortly after, Lesueur comes back disappointed: the artichoke leaf did not bring him luck and he lost everything. Discouraged, he decides to find comfort in a glass of absinthe. M. Prudhomme finally tests his system and comes back victorious after having won twenty thousand francs for his daughter’s dowry. When questioned about the secret of his system, he maliciously addresses the audience and says that they will have to come back in a year to find out.

Glove-puppet

Not specified

Lemercier de Neuville Louis

France

Principality of Monaco

Printed

Casino

Luck

Money

Game of chance

Bourgeoisie

Comical

Satirical

Lemercier de Neuville, illustration for Le Système de M. Prudhomme, 1868.

French

Monsieur Prudhomme

Actor

Off-stage voice

Monologue

Address to the public

Situation comedy

Le Système de M. Prudhomme

M. Prudhomme’s system

Martin is a man who wins every game he plays. This evening, he is preparing for his greatest gamble yet: abandoning his lover Sophie in order to go to Homburg and seduce the scandalous courtesan Eleonora Lambriani. However, his cousin, the blustering soldier Cassian, visits him; soon, the tide turns. Sophie falls in love with Cassian, Martin starts to lose at dice and is then mortally wounded by his cousin in the ensuing fight. Cassian abandons Sophie to meet with Eleonora Lambriani. Sophie jumps out of the window, but Cassian follows her and miraculously saves her; they set off for Homburg. Martin finally dies, having lost everything…

Le Système de M. Prudhomme

Der tapfere Cassian

Puppenspiel in einem Akt