Momus wakes up the Olympian Gods. After quarrelling several times and playing a few games, Jupiter promises that he will find him a wife; but the gods must flee the Giants, who have attacked them. Jupiter and Momus arrive incognito among humans who come to them complaining about their lot. Silène’s (Silenus’) donkey drives the Giants away. After going back to Olympus, Jupiter suggests that Momus marries Diane (Diana), Melpomène (Melpomene), Thalie (Thalia), and then the Foire (Fair).

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

Piron Alexis

France

Paris

Printed

Greek mythology

Giant

Wedding

Unfaithfulness

Scatology

Game of guessed professions

Competition of theaters

Comédie Française

Comédie-Italienne

Theaters of the Parisian fairs

Comical

French

La Vengeance de Tirésias (Tiresias' Revenge)

ou la Gigantomachie

Jupiter (Jove)

Juno

Apollo

Mercury

Momus

Morpheus

Minerva

Venus

Husband

Merchant (man)

Poet

Wise man

Silenus

Priest

Fair

Allegory

Metamorphosis

Comical regional accent

Le Mariage de Momus

Momus' Marriage

Alcide (Alcides) is in love with Alceste (Alcestis) and grieves when she marries Admète (Admetus). Straton learns that Céphise is leaving him, since she loves Licas now. Lycomède (Lycomedes), another character in love with Alceste, is planning a party in honour of the newly-wed—Admète and Alceste. He abducts Alceste, taking her to his ship guarded by his sister Thétis, who unleashes a tempest soon stopped by Eole (Aeolus). Licomède holds Alceste captive, but Alcide and Admète arrive with an army to set her free. The assailants win the battle, but Admète is mortally wounded. Apollon (Apollo) announces that he will come back to life if someone agrees to die in his stead: Alceste decides to sacrifice herself. Alcide makes her cross the Styx. Pluton (Pluto) does not care about Alceste’s sacrifice. Alcide arrives and asks for Alceste; she is handed back to him. Licas and Straton ask Céphise to choose between them, then the three of them agree that you should not marry if you want to stay in love. At first, Alcide wants to assert his rights over Alceste; however, he renounces when he witnesses the sorrow of the two lovers: he gives Alceste back to Admète.

Manuscript

Love

Sacrifice

Heroism

Kidnapping

Battle

Siege

Grief

Descent into hell

Trap

Immortality

Parodistic

Hercules

Alcestis

Admetus

Lycomedes

Lychas

Thétis

Eole

Pluto

Charon

Shadow

Combattant

Choir

Monster

Spectacular turn of events

Metatheatre

Ballet

Song

Love rivalry

Final song

Alceste

Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary come on, looking for a place to rest. Marie is about to give birth to the Infant Jesus, but all the doors are locked. They exit the stage. The next scenery shows the Nativity scene with the Holy Family. A choir accompanied by guitar music announces the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the Shepherds, who have come to bring him gifts. They exit the stage when the Magi arrive. The latter leave the gifts and greet the child. The Choirmaster of the Angels initiates the Dance of the Angels and the play ends with a last song of praise, sung in unison.

Single rod marionettes

Portugal

Borba

Évora

Crib

Nativity

Peasant condition

Religious

Lyrical

Satirical

Bonecos de Santo Aleixo: Joseph, Mary and the Infant Jesus

Portuguese

Joseph

Virgin Mary

Angel

Shepherd

Wise Men (Biblical Magi)

Melopoeia

Chorus

Board

Comical foreign accent

Kicking on the ground (sound effect)

Sung scenes

Auto do Nascimento do Menino

Auto of the Nativity

The show begins with a ballet by the Angels, who kneel before God. Then Mestre-Salas and Padre Chancas talk in a comic way. In the Garden of Eden, God creates the light, the Sun and the Moon, that all quarrel to determine which one of them is the most important. God creates Adam and Eve, then plants and animals. He asks the couple not to touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil under any circumstances. The snake tempts Eve, who bites into the apple of the tree, then has Adam taste it too. God discovers their violation and throws Adam, Eve and the Snake out of paradise. On earth, Adam and Eve live in poverty – Adam works the land and Eve spins wool. Adam is angry and accuses Eve of having caused their misery and he hits her while she insults him. Adam asks for God’s forgiveness. Adam and Eve’s sons, Abel and Cain, make offerings to God. Cain envies God’s preference for his brother and makes fun of Abel (who wets himself out of fear) before killing him. Abel’s corpse is carried into Heaven by the Angels. Eve loses her temper with Cain, who insults her, shows no remorse and defies God. The latter curses Cain by making him all black and damning him. Even in Hell, Cain continues to brag, and he makes fun of demons. He cheats while playing cards again the Devil. The show ends with a gag: a voice in the wings relates that a banger popped in the room and tore a hole in the pants of a member of the audience.

Genesis

Original sin

Eternal punishment

Hell

Bible

Adam

Abel

Cain

Farcical

Fantasy

The Ballet of Angels by the Bonecos de Santo Aleixo

God (monotheism)

Moon

Vicar

Barker

The Interpreter

Demiurge

Snake

Devil

Spinner

Play in verse

Off-stage voice

Murder on stage

Sarabande

Blow-with-a-stick

Ascent to heaven

Explosion

Animal cry

Pyrotechnics

Aside

Change of head on sight

Word warping

Lazzi

Auto da Criação do Mundo

Auto of the Creation of the World

The governor of Barcelona, Don Pietro, banishes Don Juan on behalf of the king of Spain, and he refuses to let him marry his daughter – whom he offers to his rival Don Philippo. Jealous, Don Juan tries to abduct Donna Marillis just as Don Philippo is about to take her to a ball – since it is carnival time. However, he is caught by Don Pietro, kills him and then flees with his servant Hans Wurst. In the woods, they meet a hermit whom Don Juan kills in order to steal his trousers. Thus disguised, he also murders Don Philippo, who went after him. The two fugitives reach a first inn, then a second one, where Don Juan invites the statue of Don Pietro, which is standing not far. When Don Pietro’s ghost arrives, Don Juan and Hans Wurst are already eating the salad. The statue summons its murderer at midnight, in the cemetery, and hands out its hand to take him to Hell.

Germany

Augsburg

Seducer

Unwelcome seducer

Assassination

Murder

Serial murder

Phantom

Revenant

Servant

Morality

Aristocracy

Nobility

Valet

Spain

Carnival

German

Augsburger Don Juan-Spiel

Don Juan

Don Pietro

Don Filippo

Hanswurst

Donna Marillis

Lipperl

Guard

Hermit

Landlady

Statue

Ghost

Apparition

Final intervention of the devil

Letter

Disguise

Inn scene

Apparition of the Devil

Bawdy equivocation

Don Juan und Don Pietro, oder das Steinerne-Todten-Gastmahl

Don Juan and Don Pietro, or the gruesome Feast of stone

Figaro argues with Suzanne, his wife, because he wants to open a puppet theater. He brings his ill daughter, Friquette, to Paris. She recovers thanks to Doctor Fluidas, a neighbor who accompanies her every day to magnetism sessions. She agrees to help her father in his new undertaking, while Suzanne refuses to be convinced. Friquette confesses to her father that she is in love with a young man. She is enamored with L’Enfumé (The Tricked One), a student physicist, whom she has not seen for four days. Upon L’Enfumé’s arrival in the city, Friquette blames him for his absence, but he explains that it is due to his preparation to fly in a balloon that has her name written on it in golden letters. Fluidas announces that doctors have forbidden his magnetism sessions because he is an impostor. After an accident with the balloon he was supposed to fly in, L’Enfumé is robbed of the money left from the subscription that he started for its construction. Figaro convinces everybody to join him in his puppet theater project.

Theatre

Magnetism

False doctor

Imposture

Gas balloon

Gascon

Flight

Scientific experimentation

E. D., Figaro, directeur de marionnettes, 1785.

Figaro

Physicist

Physician

Aria

Monologue

Argument

Metadiscourse on puppet theatre

Revelation

Figaro, directeur de marionnettes

Figaro, puppet director

Don Juan murders Don Pietro, who came running to his daughter Anna’s aid for a villain had tried to seduce her by night and, failing to do so, attempted to abduct her. In the following scene, Don Juan receives two successive visits. His servant Hans turns out the first visitor – a creditor asking for his money – while his master hides. Then a judge with a court clerk comes to investigate the death of Don Pietro. Don Juan pretends to be someone else. He then undertakes to leave town incognito by changing clothes with Hans, who boasts about his new role as the master. As the judge nearly recognises them, Don Juan kills him. The two fugitives reach the cemetery, where Don Juan asks Hans to invite Don Pietro’s statue. The ghost agrees and comes over. Don Juan refuses to repent. Hans, to whom the ghost assured there was nothing to fear, follow them to the cemetery out of curiosity, and he sees his master walk into hell.

Le Mariage de Momus

ou la Gigantomachie

Alceste

Auto do Nascimento do Menino

Auto da Criação do Mundo

Don Juan und Don Pietro, oder das Steinerne-Todten-Gastmahl

Figaro, directeur de marionnettes

Don Juan

Don Giovanni il disoluto

Il castigo impensato, con Famiola disgraziato in amore

Das goldene Ei

Das Märchen vom Rothkäppchen