Upon his return from his military service, Turiddu discovers that Lola, the woman he loved, married Alfio. He gets engaged to Santuzza in order to make Lola jealous, and then becomes Lola’s lover. Santuzza, who is desperate, reveals to Alfio that Lola and Turiddu are having an affair. She immediately wishes she had not told him, but she cannot prevent atragedy from happening. Alfio challenges Turiddu to a duel, and after having thrown dirt into his eyes, Alfio stabs Turiddu to death.

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

Italy

Palermo

Typed or electronic text with handwritten annotations

Impossible love

Honour

Unfaithfulness

Jealousy

Murder

Duel

Dramatic

Sicilian

Per opera dei pupi e opera lirica

Lover (man)

Wife

Lover (woman)

Gossiper

Garbage man

Lamplighter

Fiancée

Father

Mother

Husband

Song

Speech-narrative

Spying scene

Off-stage voice

Character leaning against the window

Knife fight

Stabbing

Seduction scene

Change of size on sight

Aria

Murder on stage

Cavalleria Rusticana

Rustic chivalry for opera dei pupi and lyrical opera

Through various scenes that follow one another without necessarily being linked, The text evokes the deportation of Jews to the concentration camps through a poetic diversions. The common thread running through the entire play is the character of the little girl, about seven years old, who meets different characters, human or not: a Man who shrinks the sky, a Little Pile of Ashes, a Train, a Chimney. Each character appears as a metaphor charged with meaning, first and foremost the Little Pile of Ashes, which materializes in a macabre and at the same time "light" way the ashes of the victims burned in the ovens. At the end of the play, the little girl, who has lost both her innocence and her life force, also disappears, swallowed up by the little pile of ashes.

Actor and puppet

Cagnard Jean

France

Cannes

Printed

Shoah

Death

Loss

Concentration camp

Lightness

Change of age of the characters

Poetry

Historical event

Pathetic

Lyrical

French

Granddaugther

Grandmother

Puppet theatre within the theatre

Transforming scenery

Active stage directions

Board

Allegory

Les Gens légers

Th light people

Teste calde tells the story of patriot Angelo Pradman, a baker who defends Fort Marghera against the Austrian invasion in 1848. He is engaged to the young Teresa, housekeeper to the Austrian baroness, the wife of the Austrian general Standeiskj. Pradman is also a lover of the Baroness herself, and meets her at her home every Thursday evening. The patriot Moser entrusts him with a very delicate mission: to sneak into General Standeiskj's house and get some rifles. Pradman tells Moser that it will be very easy for him, as he has free access to the Baroness's house. Teresa has heard everything and decides to take revenge: she sends a letter to the baroness in which she tells her that her lover, the baker, is talking to everyone about their love affair. The Baroness, in response, sends the General an anonymous letter informing him that Pradman will attempt to enter his home the following Thursday. The mission turns into a massacre: four of Pradman's comrades are killed in Standeiskj’s garden. Only Pradman manages to save himself, but for this he will be killed by his comrades who take him for a traitor. A few years later, another patriot, this time a true double agent, would have a successful career in the kingdom of Italy.

Manipulated object

Brunello Gigio

Molnár Gyula (aka Giulio Molnár)

Mogliano Veneto

Treason

Deception

Deceived deceiver

Italian unity

Realist

Italian

Storie del Risorgimento

Narrator

Pharmacien

Priest

General

Baroness

Patriote

Letter

Love story

Deceived naivety

Peasant accent

Accumulation of events

Story

Change of social status

Teste calde

Hot heads

The man with the wrought-iron heart – now an old man – relates his story. He reminisces about his childhood, and thinks about the first time he played the piano – a moment which coincided with the death of his younger brother. It is now him who plays the piano for a child.

Belgium

Childhood

Metal

Disappearing

Piano

Heart

The man with the wrought-iron heart

Child

Change of age

Character hidden inside another

L'Homme au cœur en fer forgé

The man with the wrought-iron heart

Polichinelle’s humps get in the way of his sleep. Crispin advises him to go find the fairy Mélusine so that she removes them from him. But the Fée (Fairy) is not at home and her daughter, who is still learning magic, gives him the wrong ointment. Polichinelle changes into a camel. He will have to find white roses to break the spell. Madame Dupont-Duteil is on her way to a marriage with a bouquet of white roses. She faints at the sight of the camel eating the flowers and transforming back into Polichinelle. Mère Gigogne, Polichinelle’s mother, gives birth to several children. She helps Madame Dupont-Duteil regain consciousness and has her believe that Polichinelle wants to marry her – news at which she runs away. Vexed, Polichinelle summons the Devil. He traps him in a sewing box and the Devil teaches him how to get rid of his humps—he must find a Parisian Marionnettiste (a Puppeteer). The latter removes Polichinelle’s humps. Having become “like everyone else”, Polichinelle lost his immortality. Death comes to take him away, but He has forgotten His scythe. While Death is looking for it, Polichinelle asks the Parisian Marionnettiste to glue his humps back on him. Death comes back with His scythe and fights with Polichinelle, who prevails. Crispin sets the Devil free. As a way to thank him, Death grants him a wish and Crispin asks to be loved by Madame Dupont-Duteil. He makes a deal with the Devil and Madame Dupont-Duteil invites Crispin over to her house. The Devil laments not having taken Polichinelle’s life but comforts himself with the thought that he has won Crispin who, having left with Madame Dupont-Duteil, is already “in Hell” in a way.