In Cassara, the Roman emperor Diocletiano wishes to kill all Christians. However, a Christian woman – Dorothea – lives in his court, and her father was promised protection by the emperor. The emperor’s most prominent warlords are Duosar and Theophil. Duosar is in love with Dorothea, while Theophil wishes to execute her for being a Christian. The ambitious Theophil feels looked down on by the emperor, who he thinks prefers Duosar, and he looks for a way to get rid of his young rival. When Hano the Moor tells him about Duosar’s scheme, Theopil believes that he is close to achieving his goal. Duosar means to save Dorothea and to join the Christian army. But the emperor does not want to let his favourite major go, and he considers another solution: if Theophil’s daughter, Antafolia, could convert Dorothea, the emperor would marry Antafolia, and Duosar would marry Dorothea. But after talking with Dorothea, Antafolia knocks down the statue of Jupiter, converts to Christianity and is killed by her own father. Duosar obtains Dorothea’s pardon from the emperor, but he is too late to prevent her execution. He then stabs himself to death. When it turns out that the Moor is the devil, Theophil calls for help and is rescued by a heavenly apparition. He is unstrung and converts. The high priest follows his example and adopts the Christian faith too, so do all the priests. Only the emperor still believes in his gods and begs them to send him a sign. When the execution room collapses, Diocletiano is disillusioned and kills himself using his own sword.

String marionette

Not specified

Germany

Printed

Miracle

Christianity

Paganism

Martyrdom

Ancient history

Saints

Conversion

Religious

Dramatic

Theaterzettel von Carl Eberle, Breslau, 21.11.1834

German

Das Opferfest oder die Zerstörung von Cassara,
Das unterbrochene Opferfest,
Die Zerstörung von Cassara,
Diocletiano oder Das Braminen-Fest,
Das Braminen-Fest oder die Zerstörung von Cassara

Diocletian

Commanding officer

Martyr

Moorish

Devil

Servant

Priest

Kasperl

Angel

Asmodeus

Monologue

Apparition of the Devil

Apparition of an angel

Disguise

Beheading

Metamorphosis

Murder on stage

Suicide on stage

Fire

Thunderbolt

Glory

Die Enthauptung der Heiligen Dorothea

The beheading of Saint Dorothy

Don Juan is set free from hell on the condition that he leads one thousand and three women to ruin. When he comes back on earth, the seducer appoints Kasperle as his servant, under the name Casparello. The fairy Innocentia goes after them to protect the innocence of young women. The task will prove difficult. Don Juan arrives near Barcelona, where he chances on one of his old victims, Zerline, who is now old and desperately looking for a man. Don Juan and Kasperle flee as quickly as possible when they see her. Innocentia chases them relentlessly and locks Kasperle up in a cage as he sleeps, but she falls in love with him then. Don Juan comes on and frees the prisoner. In Turkey, Don Juan seduces Fatime, a slave to the cadi Mustapha. Both the master and the servant are arrested and sentenced to death. But Lucifer appears and takes Don Juan with him in hell, for having failed to seduce one hundred and three women. Innocentia also appears and takes Kasperle with her in her palace in the clouds.

All audiences

Koch Ludwig

Munich

Manuscript

Music

Opera

Storm

Hell

Eternal punishment

Seduction

Turkey

Spain

Silliness

Old age

Despotism

Escape

Cage

Bird

Love

Innocence

Fantasy

Parodistic

Kasperles Gefahren

Don Juan

Fairy

Clerk

Zerlina

Slave

Apparition

Final intervention of the devil

Inn scene

Allegory

Magic act

Bawdy equivocation

Comic equivocation

Love story

Macaronism

Aria

Ghost

Dialect as a social marker

Versified passages

Deus ex machina

Confinement

Parody of formal language

Pact with the devil

Don Juan's zweites Leben

The Second Life of Don Juan

Young candidates for marriage are swallowed whole by the Trou du Mariage (the Marriage Hole). Tévibar, who was swallowed, manages to come back out of the Hole. The Grand Sage Matoumoisien (The Great Wise Matoumasian) lets him know that this Hole makes the fake, the ugly, and the bad disappear; and because he was not swallowed, he might be the one who has come to forgive everyone and put an end to the threat of the Hole. Tévibar introduces himself to the assembly of the Grands Sages (the Great Wise Men) pretending to be who they expect him to be: Matoum. However, he has to accomplish three miracles and overcome the trial of the Trou de Justice (Hole of Justice). Tévibar makes the Grands Sages believe that he has overcome the first two miracles and then knocks them all out. He becomes a tyrant to all the people of Matoumoisie but ends up having to pass the trial of the Trou de Justice - it swallows him whole as he confesses to his deception. Matoum arrives to accomplish all the expected miracles. He transforms Matoumoisie, spreading joy and reconciliation but Tévibar stabs him. When the time comes to bury Matoum, his coffin is empty. Everybody bursts out laughing.

Glove-puppet

Shadow theatre

Albert-Birot Pierre

France

Paris

Donkey

Wedding

Prophecy

Announcement of a messiah

Impostor

Levitation

Virgin mother of a child

Play on words

Cephalophoria

Racing car

Ugliness

Childbirth

Decollation

Forgiveness

Reconciliation

Resurrection

Laughter

Comical

Lyrical

Philosophical tale

Serge Férat, suggestion of scenery for Matoum en Matoumoisie, 1937