Kasperl und der Teufel - Carl Reinhardt

Printed

11 pages

Author(s)

Kasperl und der Teufel

Carl Reinhardt | 1852 | Munich, Germany
Genre (as defined by the author)
Kasperltheater
Characters
Hans Kasperl, Der Teufel
Number of acts
1
Note

In 1852 Carl Reinhardt published a series of pieces for Kasperl to accompany the illustrated plates he was publishing in the Münchner Bilderbogen. The text, written by an unknown author, thus serves primarily as a caption for a graphic work that made Reinhardt the father of the comic strip in Germany, and was certainly not intended to be performed on stage. Nevertheless, these short sketches reproduce typical scenes and routines from the puppet repertoire of the time. Here Kasperl fights the devil, as a worthy “cousin” of Punch: to make him appear or disappear, he uses the magic formula 'Parlicke', learned from the version of Faust published by Karl Simrock in 1846. The character is characterised as a scoundrel and a drunkard; he identifies himself with Hanswurst. This playlet initiates a solution of continuity between the plays published by Carl Reinhardt by explicitly following Kasperl und Don Juan and Frau Kasperl und die Köchin.

Plot summary

The hero triumphs over the devil

The devil steals the box in which Kasperl, in the previous play (Frau Kasperl und die Köchin) had locked his wife, his lover and the night watchman. He replaces it with another box in which Kasperl almost gets his nose stuck when he comes to sniff if it does not contain sausages. Instead, the devil emerges and wants to take him away. But Kasperl has fun making him disappear and reappear with the magic formula "Parlucke! Parlicke" until the devil gets dizzy and cries for mercy. He insists that Kasperl follow him, who finally announces that he is going to draw his will and returns with a club, with which he kills the devil. He seals him up in the box and goes to throw it in the fire.

Related works
Kasperl als Rekrut in der Türkei, Carl Reinhardt1852
Kasperl und Don Juan, Carl Reinhardt1852
Frau Kasperl und die Köchin, Carl Reinhardt1852
Composition date
1852

Publications and translations

Publication

Carl Reinhardt, Das wahrhaftige Kasperltheater, Münchner Bilderbogen, 1852

Translations
  • Louis Lemercier de Neuville, Histoire anecdotique du théâtre de marionnettes. Paris: Calmann-Lévy, 1892, p.60-63.

    (French)
Language
German
Literary tones
Comical, Farcical, Grotesque
Animations techniques
Glove-puppet
Audience
Not specified
Licence
Public domain

Key-words

Theatrical techniques

Identifiers

DOI
10.24355/dbbs.084-200806240200-4

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Written by

Jean Boutan