Kom, king of the city of Polimicra, announces to his people that a giant is treading on their land. He promises his daughter to whoever defeats him: Occe, who is in love with Nec, therefore comes forward and offers himself as a champion. Although she pretends not to have feelings, Nec is secretly in love with the giant Ercole (Hercules). Vam, the Pygmies’ general, is in love with Has, Kom’s second daughter. But Has is in love with Occe. The envoy Brin announces the arrival of the giant; he describes him in horrifying terms: the giant Ercole demands the king’s two daughters, or he will destroy the city. In the gardens of the palace, Nec and Has see the sky darken when the giant arrives. Has is desperate, but Nec rejoices: either her kingdom defeats him, or she will become Ercole’s wife. In the panic, a propitiatory sacrifice is made to Mammon, while the battle is being prepared. Brin is trying to accept that he will be devoured; the general Vam suggests that they put the giant to sleep to defeat him. Has declares his love to Occe, to try and stop him from the certain death awaiting him; but Occe’s decision does not change in the slightest. During the sacrifice, Has prays for the people, while Nec refuses to pray for the defeat of the one she loves: her father sends her to the dungeon. Brin arrives, distressed: Ercole’s nose is showing - it was taken for a mobile rock – and Ercole is asking for the king’s daughters. The giant makes fun of Occe, who is trying to fight him. Vam fills the place with smoke. Ercole sneezes: everyone falls to the ground and believes that they are being punished by the gods. They try to flee, but are stopped by Ercole’s hand. Only Nec stands before Ercole to declare her love. Out of pity and admiration for her bravery, Ercole commands Nec and Occe to marry, as well as Vam and Has, and he decides to spare everyone.

String marionette

Not specified

Martello Pier Jacopo

Italy

Rome

Printed

Giant

Pygmies

Threat

Sneezing

Wedding

Humorous

Burlesque

Parodistic

Pier Jacopo Martello, Lo starnuto d'Ercole. Teatro italiano, Parte ultima. Bologna: Lelie Dalla Volpe, 1723.

Italian

Hercules

King

Princess

Prince

General

Messenger

Playing with scale

Music

Chorus

Public announcement

Monologue

Invisible character

Confinement

Fight between an actor and a puppet

Ridiculous fight

Earthquake

Character thrown in the air

Final wedding

Lo starnuto d'Ercole

Hercules's sneeze

The Reine des Sylphes (queen of the Sylphs) declares her love to Polichinelle. The latter is taken into her palace in the air and praised by a Suivante (lady-in-waiting), a Comédien (comedian), a Poète (poet) and a Musicien (musician). Each provides opportunities to mock Parisian people’s immorality and idiosyncrasies. The Reine joins Polichinelle: together, they attend a divertissement danced by the Sylphes (Sylphs), and the final vaudeville.

Rod and string marionette

France

Paris

Germanic mythology

Fairy

Parisian life

Immorality

Unfaithfulness

Love

Life of the theatres

Fantasy

Comical

Satirical

Manuscrit of Polichinelle roi des Sylphes (BnF, Ms Fr 9312).

French

Polichinelle

Queen

Lady-in-waiting

Actor

Poet

Musician

Sylph

Off-stage voice

Dancing entertainment

Final song

Play with drawers

Aria

Polichinelle roi des Sylphes

Polichinelle king of the Sylphs

The fisherman Colin finds a golden vase in his nets. The genie Elemaliga is imprisoned inside it. As a gesture of gratitude for having delivered him, Elemaliga bestows magical powers to Colin. With this magical help, Colin triumphs over his rival Philippe, recovers the fortune he should have inherited and marries Lisbette.

Body shadows

Marion de Salins Pierre

Swindling

Fishing

Seduction

Inheritance

L'Heureuse Pêche, cover page

Comédie pour les ombres à scènes changeantes

Fisherman

Peasant (man)

Genie

Apparition of a genie

Disappearance

Love rivalry

Song

L'Heureuse Pêche

The Happy Catch

The Bonhomme Janvier (January Man), who came all the way from the infinity of space to Earth on New Year’s day, is welcomed by Pierrot. It is his first visit since the capture of Carthage, and he notices a lot of changes. Later, Pierrot’s clever uncle Gorgibus arrives. He talks to the Bonhomme Janvier with a lot of irony and contempt. He tries to hit him with a stick but fails: Janvier uses a magic trick and Gorgibus ends up frozen for the eight first days of the year. Shortly after, two children, Arlequin and Léandre, arrive. Pierrot and the Bonhomme Janvier make themselves invisible to listen to their conversation. The two boys complain about the useless and outmoded presents they were given. Pierrot and the Bonhomme Janvier reappear at this very moment. Janvier decides to take back all their presents to teach them a lesson. Paulin, Jacques Labor’s son, arrives. Invisible again, Pierrot and the Bonhomme Janvier listen to him talk about New Year. Unlike the others, Paulin expresses hope and enthusiasm regarding the year to come; the Bonhomme Janvier is surprised. Paulin’s father joins him and shares the same thoughts. Touched by the wisdom of the child, the Bonhomme Janvier promises to reward him. As for the other children, he decides to cancel their presents for the following year.

Glove-puppet

Young audiences

des Essarts Emmanuel

Party

Gift

Magic

Invisible

Child

Revenge

Edifying

Alfred des Essarts, illustration for Le Bonhomme Janvier, 1863.

Father Christmas

Pierrot

Savant

Arlecchino

Artist

Aside

Blow-with-a-stick

Magical formula

Le Bonhomme Janvier

The January Man

H. and F., an old working-class couple, dwell on their past while waiting to die in a hospice. Their dialogue develops in a suspended time and a dark atmosphere. Between recriminations, sadness and bitter memories, time is filled only with their quarrels and the few repetitive actions they perform every day in their room. Pierrot, their only son, who has not visited them for a long time, is a constant presence-absence in their daily life, one of their main sources of discussion.

Adults

Lemahieu Daniel

Avignon

Typed or electronic text with handwritten annotations

Old age

Couple

Domestic violence

Labour

Unemployment

Society

Worker

Daily

Taboo

Loneliness

Oppression

Sub-text

Homosexuality

Realist

Old man

Old woman

Domestic scene

Argument

Awaiting

Silence

Analepsis (Flash-back)

Entre Chien et Loup

At twilight

Papa (Dad) and Maman (Mum) celebrate Bébé’s (Baby) birthday. They eat cake, drink champagne, play music and are happy. Pap’s and Mam’s, Bébé’s grandparents, comment on the scene without partaking in it, for they died in a bombing.

All audiences

Danan Joseph

Family

Regrets

Grandparents

Father

Mother

Infant

Birthday

Death

Dramatic

Grandmother

Grand-father

Baby

Spying scene

Sur la terre moins qu'au ciel

On earth less than in heaven

Crows live in abundance on the corpses of humans who keep killing each other in war. The Fanes people, thousands of years ago, lived in peace and harmony with nature, thanks to a special bond with the marmots. Power was passed from mother to daughter, until Princess Dolasilla's mother was forced to break the old rules by abdicating and marrying the king of a foreign land who worshipped the god of war.From then on, under male control, the people of Fanes are at war.In the depths of the mountain, two little siblings, Aylan and Hudea, remain hidden. They wear a mouse costume to disguise themselves, because soldiers do not shoot mice. But the food in the cave is running out and the female ancestors of the Fanes people, their only hope of salvation, seem to be unresponsive. The king has finally decided to send his daughter Dolasilla, the rightful successor to the throne, to the battlefield: he wants to get rid of her so as not to lose his power. Aylan decides to separate from his sister and go out of the mountain to help Dolasilla in the battle, but they are both killed, along with many other Fanes. After the battle, the crows discuss the cruel nature of the human soul, while they eat the corpse of a child.