Polichinelle, a “broken old man” with a beard and white hair, enters the scene followed by some Gamins (Kids) making fun of him. The Génie de la Fontaine Molière (the Fontaine Molière Genie) appears, chases away the Gamins and comforts Polichinelle: he complains about his old age and relates his past achievements in Italy, Germany, England and France. They are both sorry for the death of writer Charles Nodier (1780-1844), who had praised Polichinelle. The Génie makes the statue of Molière that ornates the fountain appear, and he tells Polichinelle to drink from the fountain. Polichinelle obeys and immediately rejuvenates. Arlequin, Colombine, Pierrot, Léandre and Cassandre appear with the cast of a ballet who invites Polichinelle to join everyone and dance.

Not specified

France

Paris

Manuscript

Old age

Aging

Laughter

Fantasy

Didactic

La Fontaine de jouvence, page from the manuscript

French

Polichinelle

Genie

Child

Personnages de l'ancienne Comédie Italienne

Arlecchino

Cassandre

Colombine

Pierrot

Léandre

Dancer

Multi-voice shouting

Play in verse

Avista

Change of age

Ballet

La Fontaine de jouvence

The Fountain of Youth

In the spring, around 1840 in Paris, Jean-François Billembois, a young artisan-carpenter, struggles to find the words to describe to his friend Pancrace the show he saw the night before at the Théâtre des Funambules. Nanette, a sweet young girl, arrives and reminds Billembois that he promised to take her on a walk to Montmorency the following Sunday. But Billembois finds an excuse to break his promise. When Pancrace expresses surprise at this change of heart, Billembois confides that he is madly in love with the beautiful Zéphyrine, an actress at the Théâtre des Funambules, but that he loses his nerve every time he sees her. His friend Pancrace invites him for a drink to cheer him up. Across from Billembois's shop, in a former mansion, a mysterious foreigner, Mr Tenorio, has taken up residence. Pursued to his home by Anaïs, an old bigot, Tenorio instructs Jasmin, his servant, not to let anyone in. Old Anaïs accuses Tenorio of using the church to spy on the prettiest women and seduce them with his devilish ways. After a torrent of curses, Anaïs faints in front of the seducer's door. She is rescued by some women and taken to the herbalist, Mrs Fouillechat. In the evening, on the deserted street, Ratapoil appears, a strange figure in uniform who knocks on Tenorio's door and introduces himself as the Commander. But Jasmin does not let him in. In the back room of the herbalist-witch's shop, Billembois, in despair, complains to Madame Fouillechat that none of the potions or talismans she has given him have made Zéphyrine fall in love with him. She attempts an incantation, but is regularly interrupted by the arrival of other customers. She then asks Billembois to go home and perform a ritual by plucking three hairs, which she will incorporate into a love cake intended for Zéphirine. Meanwhile, Jasmin comes to fetch rejuvenating enemas for his master and a remedy for his fear. When questioned by Mrs Fouillechat, he reveals that Mr Tenorio is in fact the famous Don Juan (albeit aged), who fled Spain to escape the vengeance of the Commander he killed. But the Commander has found Don Juan and has been knocking on their door every night for a week. Jasmin, proud to serve such an illustrious master, makes Mrs Fouillechat swear to keep the secret. When Billembois returns, Mrs Fouillechat changes her plan and sends him to her neighbour Mr Tenorio, so that he can teach him the secret of the secret of making women love him. Meanwhile, Jasmin complains to Mrs Fouillechat that rejuvenating enemas she preapared for his master are ineffective. Offended, Mrs Fouillechat publicly reveals that Tenorio is none other than the famous Don Juan, now ravaged by old age. Hearing this, the other women, fascinated by the presence of the mythical seducer, bombard Jasmin with questions about him and end up quarrelling. Meanwhile, Zéphyrine manages to break into Tenorio's house. In the countryside, in Montmorency, near a guinguette, everyone is gathered together, walking, playing music, singing, dancing or flirting. Zéphyrine allows herself to be seduced by Don Juan and regains her confidence. Billembois falls in love with Nanette, whose purity of soul he perceives, and immediately forgets Don Juan's secret. The Commander has followed Don Juan's trail to Montmorency. Don Juan sees Nanette and wants to seduce her, but she rejects him, calling him ‘old’. It is then that Don Juan accepts the Commander's punishment, as his life as a seducer is over. Hailed as the glory of having been Don Juan's last mistress, Zéphyrine is courted by the wealthy Arthur. While Billembois is overjoyed to have found true love, Nanette seems lost in her thoughts, and her last line refers to the colour of Don Juan's eyes.

Glove-puppet

Baty Gaston

Typewriting

Myth of Don Juan

Parler parisien

Seduction

Fantastic

Realist

Comical

Conte fantastique en cinq scènes pour marionnettes

Jean-François Billembois

Parisian urchin

Woodworker

Don Juan

Seducer

Old man

Domestic servant

Commander

Death

Ghost

Cabaret owner

Young woman

Wife

Herborist

Witch

Midwife

Actress

Poet

Old Maid

Old woman

Animal

Bird

Donkey

Allusion to theatrical events of the time

Popular speech

Comic distortion of language

Fainting

Music

Apparition of a ghost

Ellipsis

Incantation

Monologue

Spectacular turn of events

Off-stage voice

Vision

Off-stage noise

Recounting of memories

Song

Inserting poetry

Le Miroir aux alouettes (variation sur le mythe à Don Juan)

Smoke and mirrors

Anselme Sablefin, "a man of a certain age", fights against time. He does everything he can to silence the hands of his watch. But they only do as they please, despite his threats and physical attacks. On his birthday, Anselme invites his friend Pascal Beaurivage over and takes out the cake from last year’s birthday, which “had entirely faded and looked all stale and inedible”. Faced with Beaurivage’s sadness, he brings out a second cake, a fresher and mouth-watering one – the birthday cake’s birthday cake. Everytime Anselme cuts a slice, shapes suddenly come out, reminding him of various periods of his life.When Sonia, Beaurivage’s daughter, asks him to cut the last slice of the cake, a huge, red heart and tears suddenly appear. He dies, but comes back to life right after, and they all eat the cake together.