The shepherdess Philis is loved by Silvandre, whom she loves in return, but she is also courted by Microton. Dorine promises Philis that she will ask the magician Orcan to calm Microton's ardour. Surprising Philis and Silvandre's love dialogue, Microton calls on Orcan to take revenge on Silvandre and force Philis to love him. Orcan performs various magic tricks. He has prepared the potion, but Microton refuses to go and thank the demons. Orcan tries to seduce Elise, who rejects him. Philis reveals to Silvandre that Microton has played the role of a guardian for her. The god of love appears and promises to help Silvandre. Elise convinces Orcan to support Silvandre and Philis' love and to cure Microton of his madness. Orcan forces Microton to go and see the Demons; il conjures up Goblins, Serpents, a Dragon, Demons that frighten Microton and make him give up Philis. Microton announces that he will devote himself only to his flock. Orcan laughs at him. Microton gets angry, but he realises that he has been magically cured of his love for Philis and joins the wedding banquet. Microton wants to eat some of the dishes, but they turn into snakes and toads. The appearance of demons makes Microton run away. Shepherds and shepherdesses sing and dance.

Not specified

La Grille (Dominique de Normandin, aka Sieur de La Grille)

France

Paris

Printed summary

Rivalry in love

Magic

Animals, Mythical

Animated object

Unwelcome seducer

French

ou les charmes d'Orcan

Hunter

Sheperherdess

Devil

Statue

Gardener

Magician

Love

Bohemian woman

Goblin

Snake

Dragon

Caterer

Shepherd

Apparition

Metamorphosis

Les Amours de Microton

Microton's Loves

The Roi des Pygmées (Pygmy King) worries about the coming of the Grues and the potential disorder his daughter will cause among the generals of his army. In remembrance of her fiancé Timas, who is presumed dead, Parvulie refuses to marry Picolus. As for Pichonine, she is courted by both Picolus and Belus. The king decides to offer Pichonine to whoever defeats the Grues. Ominous signs arise after a sacrifice, and the king asks Sémiandre and Homoncius to speak with the Ciel (sky/gods). Pichonine confesses to Parvulie that she loves Belus. The envoys pass on Mars’ promise to help them in their battle against the Grues. Timas finally comes back and traps the Grues in nets: the Pygmies have won, and the king is about to promise Pichonine to Picolus – who claims to be the victorious hero. Microton declares that Belus has died, when it is in fact Picolus who did, when he was about to kill his rival Belus. Belus and Timas come back and are greeted as the true champions. Pichonine believes she will have to marry Picolus, instead of Belus. Mercure (Mercury), Soleil (the sun), Mars and Jupiter appear one after the other. Vignerons (winegrowers) and Bergers (shepherds) dance.

Greek mythology

Pygmies

Relationship between man and animal

Fake news

Loyalty in love

Tragic

Comical

Title page of the original publication (BnF, Paris).

Officer

Soldier

Crane (bird)

Mercury

Mars

Jupiter (Jove)

Winemaker

Misunderstanding

Flying machine

Les Pygmées

The Pygmy

The play begins on the banks of the Tiber river, where Costantino (Constantine) is about to fight the usurper Massenzio (Maxentius), son of Massimiano (Maximian), whose crown he stole. The Sky opens, and Religion appears to announce Costantino’s victory to him. Costantino promises to avenge his sister Costanza (Constantia), who was betrayed by Licinio (Licinius): the latter was supposed to marry her and make her queen of Orient, but he joined the enemy. In Rome, Arsace passes on Costantino’s offer of peace to Massimiano, who rejects them. Fausta, Massimiano’s daughter, announces her brother’s defeat: her father asks her to swear fealty to the winner. Arsace, whom the audience believed to be in love with Fausta, gives unclear reasons to explain that he cannot love her. During a triumphant procession, the legitimate Emperor moves with the chariot of Fama (Renown), pulled by winged horses; then Fama promises Costantino victory. When the latter makes a speech to the Romans to bring them peace, Fausta throws herself at his feet. In the procession, Planco, Costanza’s servant, is looking for Licinio. Thanks to a portrait, he recognises Arsace as his mistress’ future husband. Convinced that Licinio betrayed her, Costanza promises that she will take revenge on him. Informed by Planco, Costanza pretends not to have recognised Licinio—she wants to feel just how badly she was betrayed. Licinio is won by love and reveals himself to her; he manages to make her reconcile with him: she suggests that she remains hidden before she is certain that her brother will be merciful. Drusilla learns from Planco that Costantino no longer has a wife, and that he can therefore become Fausta’s lover. But Massimiliano despairs and asks his daughter to avenge her dead brother by leading Costantino into a trap, at which point Arsace will kill him; then, he promises to marry his daughter with the murderer. Fausta refuses; Costantino finds her as she is crying. When he tells her that he wishes everyone could unite thanks to his peace proposal, she lets him know that his father left to cry from sorrow. He asks her to take him to her father, insistent despite Fausta’s vague warnings. In the forest, Massimiano is waiting for Costantino; he is with Arsace, who vainly tries to talk him into choosing peace. Costantino arrives with Fausta. As he is about to embrace the defeated king, conspirators ambuscade him. Arsace intervenes to save him; so does Fausta. Not knowing who to believe in this confusing situation, Costantino sends the three suspects to prison. When he tries to find out who the culprits are, Costantino reconciles with Arsace, whom he recognises as Licinio. But Costanza, convinced that her husband betrayed her with Fausta, wants him dead. Announcing that Massimiano is threatening his own daughter as punishment for having saved Costantino, Drusilla tells Costanza the truth. Fausta flees into the forest, looking for her father who went insane. She manages to control him, then denounces herself to Costantino. In the dungeons of the place, Arsace is locked up; Costanza meets him there. Suspecting that the two conspirators, Arsace and Fausta, are meeting, Costantino walks in on them: Costanza, leaving the prison, throws herself at his feet to tell him the truth. In the final scene, Costantino is accompanied by a procession and celebrates peace; he gives up his plan to take revenge. The play ends with two marriages, and Massimiano is said to be on the run. Then, Faith appears, surrounded by the Liberal arts.

Ottoboni Pietro

Italy

Rome

Printed

Faith

Emperor

Ancient history

Usurper

Roman History

Fantasy

Edifying

Heroic

Il Costantino pio (1710), title page

Italian

Sister

Servant

Lady-in-waiting

Music

Chorus

Interlude

Play in verse

Disguised character (false identity)

Revelation

Vision

Miracle

Monologue

Allegory

Apparition of an angel

Procession

Attempted assassination

Crowd

Running away

Clouds

Apotheosis

Il Costantino Pio

Constantine the Pious

Polichinelle and Pierrot, the survivors of a shipwreck which separated them from their troupe of comedians (made up in fact of other puppets), land on the Île des Fées (Isle of the Fairies). They are welcomed by a benevolent Fée (Fairy) who promises to help them: a Géant (Giant) will take them to Paris, where they are expected in their theatre. While Polichinelle runs to store wine in a cool place, Pierrot meets the Géant; he confirms that he is going to help them. The Fée makes a sumptuous feast appear for Pierrot, who is starving; she also introduces him to a young girl who wants to marry him. The Géant comes back to take Polichinelle, Pierrot and his new wife, and the whole troupe of puppets to Paris.

Rod and string marionette

Manuscript

Fairy play

Giant

Journey

Shipwreck

Hunger

Wedding

Rivalry of theatres

Parodistic

ou Le Géant aux marionnettes

Polichinelle

Pierrot

Fairy

Mother Gigogne

Young woman

Pantaloon

Metadiscourse on puppet theatre

Sung scenes

Versified passages

Final song

L'Ile des fées

The Isle of the fairies

The shepherd Floritan (Floridan) is in love with the shepherdess Dorinda, but she tells him that she will only answer to his love if he brings her water from a magical cave. Instead of doing it himself, Floritan sends his servant Hans (Kasper) to fetch that water. As a reward, he assures Hans that he will give him a trousseau so that he can marry Dorinda’s servant, Gretel. The latter has to prepare a jar to fetch water, but she refuses to give it to Hans because she thinks he is unfaithful. In fact, Hans is planning on marrying Dorinda if his adventure is a success. Hans and Floritan manage to get to the cave, each independently, but Floritan is scared and runs away. Karikux, the magician, denies entry to the cave to Hans, a devil breaks his pot, then he is eventually chased away by shrews. Hans tells his story, exaggerating it, to Floritan. Floritan gives up on going back to the cave to get water. Instead, Dorinda challenges him to kill a monster that is eating her sheep and goats. Hans, to whom Floritan has again promised money for his wedding, kills the monster for his master. He demands that Dorinda marry him, but she does not care about who has killed the monster, because she is, in fact, in love with Floritan, and with him only. Therefore, Dorinda gets married to Floritan, and Hans to Gretel.

String marionette

All audiences

Germany

Leipzig

Typewriting

Monster

Test

Cave

Jealousy

Pastoral

Theaterzettel von Louis Regel aus Donndorf, Roßla am Harz um 1880

German

Kasperl

Farmhand

Maid

Ghost

Love story

Apparition of the Devil

Song

Final wedding

Der Gang zur Zauberhöhle

The path to the magical cave

Prince Abdal and his servant Kasper are lost in an enchanted forest. Kasper eats all the supplies while his master cannot satisfy his hunger. For three years, the prince has been searching for a woman who appeared to him in a dream. Then the king of the dwarfs and his subjects appear to the two men. The woman they are looking for is Princess Olanda, who is held captive in the forest by the magician Brandarbaran. They decide that Kasper will kill the magician, while Prince Abdal saves the princess. They are both given magical objects, and the dwarfs offer to help them. Kasper goes back to court using an invisibility cloak, and delivers fake news – that his master has died – then disappears. Olanda has been held captive for three years in Brandarbaran’s dungeon. Although she was treated like a princess in all respects by her maid Margaretha, she was raised by poor people. Brandarbaran tries to seduce her, but she resists him. Since this will cause him to look powerless, he decides to kill her. Prince Abdal and Kasper are at the foot of the dungeon, and about to fulfill their mission. Pimperle and Pitschkerle, two dwarfs, come to their aid and put the dragon to sleep. But Kasper does not succeed in killing the magician: in fact, the dwarfs did not wish him to, because Brandarbaran is actually Olanda’s father! Brandarbaran gives Kasper and Olanda their blessing. The maid Margaretha recognises Kasper: he is her husband, who ran away years before. They reconcile after quarrelling several times.

Saxony

Dwarf

Jail

Enchanted forest

Magic object

Father-daughter incest

Dramatic

First page of Die Zwerge, c.1750.

King

Queen

Prince

Commanding officer

Master of ceremonies

King of the dwarfs

Dwarf (female)

Stream of consciousness

Scene of recognition

Stormy scene

Die Zwerge

The dwarfs

Satan and the Anges rebelles (Rebel Angels) are trying to go back to heaven, but they are defeated and repelled into the abyss by the Archange Michel (Archangel Michael). The Verbe (Word; God) appears and creates the planets. In the underworld, the Anges rebelles are planning their revenge: they gather riches and have a palace built. Satan finds out that Dieu (God) is going to create l’Homme (Man) and he wants to cause his downfall. He manages to escape Hell and to go to the physical World. In the Terrestrial Paradise, Ève, tempted by Satan posing as a snake, convinces Adam to eat the Fruit from the Tree of knowledge. The two are driven out of Paradise. Carried to a mountain by an Ange (Angel), Adam sees the future in a dream—episodes from the Old Testament, the birth and death of Jesus, the Last Judgment. The last tableau shows the Almighty God on his throne.

Automaton

Josse Pierre-Charles

Bible

Evil

Revolt

Fall

Creation of the world

Hell

Heaven

Temptation

Religious

L'Origine du monde et la chute du premier homme, 1763 (page 1)

Satan

Saint Michael

Angel

God (monotheism)

Beelzebub

Architect

Mammon

Death

Time

Dreams

Adam

Gabriel

Pharaoh

Solomon

Nabuchodonosor

Jesus

Fight

Avista

Dream

L'Origine du monde et la chute du premier homme

The Origin of the world of the fall of the first man

Don Juan witnesses Donna Amarilles' declaration of love to Don Philippo and decides to get to the meeting place before his rival. Through the intervention of his servant Hans Wurst, he asks his father Don Alfaro for ten thousand thalers. The latter has two coins given to them, so that they can both buy ropes to hang themselves. Don Juan beats his father and robs him. He tries to abduct Donna Amarilles but he is caught by her father, Don Pedro, and kills him. The boat Don Juan and Hans Wurst flee on sinks but they both survive and find shelter with a hermit in the woods. Don Juan is disguised – he is wearing the hermit’s trousers – and kills Don Philippo who was chasing him. He then tries to rape a shepherdess and a princess he met in the woods. He kills the princess because she was fighting him. Don Juan and Hans Wurst finally reach the cemetery where Don Pedro’s equestrian statue stands, and they invite him over for dinner. The statue agrees, but in the end, Don Juan will go to it for a midnight feast in the cemetery. Don Pedro urges him to do penance, but he refuses and is damned. He then repents for his sins. An angel offers him forgiveness for his sins. He does not think he is worthy of it and is carried away by Furies from the Underworld. As for Hans Wurst, he drives out two devils who offered him a similar dinner.

Les Amours de Microton

ou les charmes d'Orcan

Les Pygmées

Il Costantino Pio

L'Ile des fées

ou Le Géant aux marionnettes

Der Gang zur Zauberhöhle

Die Zwerge

L'Origine du monde et la chute du premier homme

Don Juan oder der Steinerne Gast

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

Doctor Faust

Eine alte Volks-Sage, aus den Zeiten des 12ten Jahrhunderts in 5 Aufzügen