Two marionettes are hanging in a theatre. After some morning stretches, the First One, in great shape, wakes up the Second One, who is sad and busy pondering. The Second Puppet, persuaded to have a deep soul, lectures the First One, and explains the principles of Good and Evil. He claims to be a living actor and to have been freed from God, his maker, who has become powerless. However, he still needs the First One’s help to untie his strings and be able to move freely. The First One declares that he was created after Buddha. This statement makes The Second One feel bad and he starts gasping. He asks The First One to open the window and then the landscape. A house in Burma appears, inside it is the Burmese master who created The First Puppet. He is very old and on the verge of dying.

String marionette

Not specified

Craig Edward Gordon

Italy

Florence

Printed

Freedom

Buddha

Creation

Revelation

Comical

Philosophical tale

English

The Scene

Puppet

Old man

Choir

Metatheatre

Metadiscourse on puppet theatre

Apparition

The First Prologue

Premier prologue

Polichinelle introduces the character of the Auteur (Author) followed by allegories of different elements useful to him for his writings: Fantaisie (Creativity), Temps (Time), Actualité (News), and Oubli (Forgetfulness). Each allegory shares its importance in the writing process.

Glove-puppet

Young audiences

France

Paris

Writing

Gaston Cony, "Les Secrets de Polichinelles", Artistique-Revue, n° 5.