Although he mangles every word he says, Polichinelle lets his Voisin (neighbour) on his dream of becoming a member of the French Academy. He responds to every objection made to him and presents the speech he means to make to the members of the Academy.

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

Malézieu Nicolas de

France

Sceaux

Printed

Scatology

French language

Fart

French Academy

Farcical

Title page of Nicolas de Malézieux's play Polichinelle demandant une place à l'académie, in the collection Pièces échappées du feu, 1717.

French

Dialogue entre Polichinelle et son Voisin

Polichinelle

Neighbour

Comic speech

Polichinelle demandant une place dans l'Académie

Polichinelle asking for a seat in the French Academy

In Trépagny-les-Mèches, Piquendaire, the innkeeper, displays his support for the candidate Manandar, and despises his rival Tringlet, whom he describes as a « radical, labourer ». At the same time, the street performer Conquenbois, dressed as Hercules, gives a street performance with his assistant Eloa. After their performance, Piquendaire gets ready to welcome Manandar in his hotel, but gets confused and welcomes Balandard instead, accompanied by Ida and Céleste. Settled in the hotel, Balandard meets Coquenbois and Eloa, and invites them to dinner. Piquendaire, convinced that he is destined for a prestigious job, is in charge of bringing a candidate to an important dinner. During the reception, Balandard is invited to give a speech, but he confesses that he is not Manandar. However, the guests do not realise their mistake. Finally, Balandard introduces the « real » candidate: Coquenbois. Tringlet recognises the street performer immediately, but Coquenbois challenges him to a duel and is victorious, thus becoming the favourite in the elections.

Glove-puppet

Maurice Sand (Maurice Sand)

Nohant

Elections

Politics

Artiste

Dinner

Fighting

Comical

Satirical

Eugène Lambert, George Sand, Maurice Sand : puppet of Coquenbois.

Le Candidat

Director of the theatre

Balandard

Street performer

Innkeeper

Worker

Domestic servant

Actor

General director

Mayor

Constable

Fireman

Actress

Lady

Maid

Counselor

Citizen

Musician

Aside

Brawl

Misunderstanding

Situation comedy

Comedy of language

Monologue

Aria

Theatre within the theatre

Le Candidat de Trépagny

The Candidate from Trépagny

In the canteen of a federal shooting society, a speaker stands on a platform. The assembly applauds him right after he utters, with a booming voice, the word “Confederation”. The speaker raises his glass and drinks to the success of his “recipe” for a political speech.

Shadow theatre

Switzerland

Geneva

Rhetoric

Parodistic

Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Chansons romandes (front cover), circa 1910.

Orateur

Public

Song

Recette

Recipe

Blind Woman is lying on her bed, which is on top of her house, and narrating her unsuccessful love stories to Doctor Fell. Her tale lasts for a few days. It ends when the curtain falls and a Marionette comes to announce that the Theatre Director found a way to make her stop her storytelling by gifting her a ring which grants one wish. Blind Woman declares to Doctor Fell that she wants revenge on Jupiter. Thanks to the ring, she turns into a Sphinx to force Jupiter to surrender to her power by asking him riddles. She asks Doctor Fell to dress up as a nanny. Jupiter is sailing at sea, dressed as a ship’s captain. He receives a call from Mama Ops, his mother, who wishes him to meet a smart woman and lets him know that she revealed his location to Blind Woman. Jupiter is distraught and reaches the boat of Blind Boy, Cockatrice, and Columbus, who also decide to dress up to mislead Blind Woman. The latter awaits Jupiter on a dock, under the guise of a Sphinx. She is persuaded that he disguised himself as a woman to get away from her. Jupiter, as a captain, lands with Blind-Boy, Cockatrice, and Columbus, who cross-dress as the Three Graces. Blind Woman, who thinks Cockatrice to be Jupiter, asks him a riddle and snatches his veil. Cockatrice appears, wearing a nightgown and makeup as a lady. Blind Woman faints into Doctor Fell’s arms while the others take this opportunity to get back on the ship and flee. 
When she comes to her senses, she meets a Watchman and tries to trick him with a riddle as well, while the curtain falls.

String marionette

Craig Edward Gordon

Italy

Marina di Pisa

Latin Mythology

Mother

Seduction

Sphinx

Riddle

Boat

Adventure

Fantasy

English

Blind

Physician

Puppet

Jupiter (Jove)

Cybele

Rhea

Blind Boy

Cockatrice

Basilic

Parrot

Columbus

Sailor

City councillor

Night watchman

Ellipsis

Lowering the curtain during action

Address to the public

Metamorphosis

Boat mounted on wheels

Talking on the phone

Off-stage voice

Scene of recognition

Disguised character (false identity)

Cross-dressing

Instrumental tune

Anachronism

Jupiter & the Sphinx

Jupiter et le Sphinx

Mademoiselle (Miss) Félicité, a foreign doctoral student, pays a visit to Morched – a master puppeteer – to buy his puppets. Her request is categorically denied because, in Morched’s eyes, puppetry is ancestral work. However, after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the authorities censored traditional Iranian culture and Morched is forbidden from practicing his trade. In spite of this prohibition, he decides to use his puppets one last time to tell the love story between Pahlévâne and Sarvé-Nâz Khânome, which will soon be made impossible because of the Mullahs, who support their friend Mobârak (“a mischievous servant”). Unable to destroy his puppets, Morched – just before he dies – decides to entrust them to Mademoiselle Félicité, who will be able to keep the memory of his work alive.

Actor and puppet

Puppeteer

Puppets

Student

Love

Power

Transmission

Religion

Current events

Daily life

Bans

Political context

Death

Epic

Dramatic

Frédéric de Manassein, cover art for Mémoires d'une marionnette.