Puppeteer Heinrich Apel’s Don Juan follows the outline of the Don Juan published by Karl Engel in 1875 (which featured the now traditional scene of encounter with the hermit) and adds scenes and motifs borrowed from Mozart’s Don Giovanni – the character Zerlinchen (Zerlina) thus remains faithful to the opera’s version, but Donna Elvira only shares her name with Lorenzo Da Ponte’s character, as she is Admirelles’ old nurse here. Other characters, such as Zerlinchen’s fiancé Lucio or his brother Jakob, are original characters. In this play, Don Juan is presented as both a seducer and a murderer. In total, he has killed six people, since we learn in the opening scene that he has already murdered his father and grandfather to steal their money.

Don Juan tries to abduct Admirelles – the daughter of the governor of Barcelona Don Pedro, whom he turned away to his rival Don Philippo’s advantage. He is caught by Don Pedro and kills him, then he kills his uncle to rob him of his wealth and leaves town using the sewers. Don Juan and Kasper hide in a wood, where Don Juan kills a hermit to steal his trousers. Thus disguised, he kills Don Philippo, who was chasing him. The statue of Don Pedro appears to him. Don Juan invites him over for dinner. After a shipwreck, Don Juan and Kasper reunite at a wedding, during which one seduces the bride Zerlinchen and the other seduces her friend Berta. Don Pedro comes for dinner and insists that Don Juan visit him in his vault. Don Juan goes back to Barcelona during the night, enters the tomb and is damned. Kasper fled without further ado.