In the prologue, Talia (Thalia) and Urania announce an inspiring story. Baldassara, a successful actress admired by Alvaro and Rodrigo, is tormented: as she performs the role of Clorinda in the company of Beatrice, Lisa, and Biscotto in a theatrical adaptation of La Gerusalemme Liberata by Torquato Tasso, she is so disturbed that she misses her cue. Baldassara understands that her torment comes from the fact that, while she plays the role of a young Christian, she has turned a deaf ear to the calls of God. Right in the middle of the performance, she leaves to exile herself in the desert, pursued by Biscotto and Lisa, who attempt to deter her from her goal. Beatrice, however, has only contempt for her rival; the other actors apologize to the public, who seem enthusiastic at the performance of who they call the "Comica del Cielo" (the Actress from the Heavens). During her exile, Baldassara discovers the beauty in solitude, while Lisa and Biscotto see only horror. She refuses their pleas to return to Valenza. The Demon, disguised as a hunter, tempts Alvaro, who has left in search of his lover: the young man finds Baldassara, who implores him to devote his life to God. In despair, he leaves to throw himself from a cliff. Baldassara tries to stop him, but a boulder in the form of a cross intervenes. Baldassara kneels before the power of the Divine. Biscotto, in hermit's robes, decides to stay at her side despite objections from Lisa. During her slumber, the Demon sends Baldassara temptations: upon her wake, she repels him with a Christian symbol, which breaks the spell. Biscotto, however, regardless of Lisa's warnings, tastes a cake from the Demon: the bitterness in his mouth remains, but he succeeds in chasing the Demon away. Act II ends with a ballet. Beatrice arrives in the desert after the death of Tafer, who she followed across the oceans and who was defeated by Rodrigo. In a nocturnal scene, Baldassara and Biscotto discover Beatrice and successfully dissuade her from killing herself. Rodrigo, arriving mid-reunion, wants to kill Beatrice to avenge her infidelity. Baldassara interjects and commands him to turn toward God. After these multiple conversions Penitenza (Penitence) appears to Baldassara to bring her her rewards; she confronts the Demon and triumphs over him. Since Alvaro hopes to regain his good graces with the help of Lisa, he finds Baldassara dead, in the midst of a choir of angels and happy souls.

"On foot and by rod" puppet

Marionette with counterweight

Not specified

Spain

Madrid

Italy

Rome

Printed

Conversion

Desert

Hermit

Actress

Miracle

Edifying

Heroic

Religious

Epic

Italian

La Conversione di Santa Baldassarra Comica Spagnuola; La Comica celeste

ovvero La Baldassara

Thalie

Muse

Uranie

Lover (man)

King

Counselor

Servant

Maid

Devil

Soldier

Spectator

Choir

Angel

Play in verse

Chorus

Interlude

Prologue

Theatre within the theatre

Crowd

Sleeping character

Soliloquy

Night scene

Revelation

Failed suicide

Apparition of the Devil

Pact with the devil

Allegory

Death on stage

Flying machine

Apotheosis

Ascent to heaven

Apparition of an angel

La Comica del Cielo

The Actress from the Heavens

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

Germany

Christianity

Paganism

Martyrdom

Ancient history

Saints

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

Priest

Kasperl

Asmodeus

Monologue

Disguise

Beheading

Metamorphosis

Murder on stage

Suicide on stage

Fire

Thunderbolt

Glory

Die Enthauptung der Heiligen Dorothea

The beheading of Saint Dorothy

Zechariah prays to God for a son. The Archangel Gabriel appears and announces that his wish is granted, but Zachariah does not believe him. Because of his disbelief, the Angel strikes him mute. When Zechariah comes back home, his wife Elizabeth announces that their son is born. Meanwhile, Marie rejects Joseph’s marriage proposal. The Archangel Gabriel appears before her and announces the birth of her cousin Elizabeth’s son. Marie must have a son too. She must accept Joseph’s proposal and, after visiting her cousin, go to Bethlehem with her husband. Marie obeys. Three Magi present themselves at Herod’s court. They have heard that the king of the Jews is born and are looking for him to bring him presents. Herod did not know about his being born. As soon at the Magi leave, he orders that the child be found and killed. In the stable, the Shepherds join the Angel in a song to rejoice about the birth of the Saviour. The Magi offer their presents to the infant Jesus. The Angel warns them about Herod’s order and asks them to go back home by a different route. As the Magi do not come back, Herod orders that all the children under two be killed. Later, the Angel tells Marie and Joseph that they can go back to Judea because Herod has died.

Single rod marionettes

Belgium

Liège

Manuscript

Prayer

Birth

Annunciation

The Massacre of the Innocents

Crib

Pierre-Paul Pinet, Li Naissance, first page of the manuscript.

French

Gabriel

Virgin Mary

Shepherd

Wise Men (Biblical Magi)

Herod

Song

Speechless character

Massacre scene

Li Naissance

The Birth

Wandering in the forest, Kasperl finds refuge with a hermit, who wants to lead him to repent. The Devil plants a giant radish in Kasperl's path, a magical object that assures its owner that all his wishes will come true. Kasperl immediately orders six litres of beer from the radish, a dish of Leberknödel (liver dumplings) and cabbage, and a sofa to sleep off his drunkenness. The Devil then returns to damn him in the form of a prostitute who wants to lie down beside Kasperl; but he pushes her away violently, shouting that he is drunk and needs to sleep in peace. Then the sky opens up and angelic choirs sing him praises: Kasperl has triumphed over the devil and he receives a halo. Not knowing what to do with it, he leaves it with the hermit, who, in exchange, leads him out of the forest.

Glove-puppet

Blümel Otto

Gaienhofen

Repentance

Renunciation

Radish

Knödel

Beer

Seduction

Temptation

Couch

Aureola

Hermann Hesse

Farcical

Satirical

Burlesque

Der Teufel in Gestalt eines buhlerischen Weibs

Prostitute

Voice

Off-stage voice

Versified passages

Apparition

Dialect

Der Klausner

The hermit

The play opens with a “Prologo in cielo” (prologue in the sky) during which the Teatro Vagante (an itinerant theatre) is brought down from the fly towers to the stage: the Teatro Vagante is at once a cave, a house, a cradle, a cart and a theatre. The actors have seen the theatre of the gods, which they have to try recreating now because “a mystery must be revealed”. The mystery is about a country where people are insatiable and keep wanting to eat fresh meat, even though resources are scarce. There are no cattle, an epidemic has broken out in the countryside and rubbish produced by their residents is piling up in the suburbs. This jungle of metal is thought to be the home of spirits called “rottamat”, which people believe to be responsible for the disappearance of several villagers. Everyone praises the butcher for his excellent meat, but he turns out to be an evil character who commits murders to supply meat for his shop. Just like the devil, he takes on numerous shapes: he is simultaneously the Butcher, the Father, the crazy man Matteo and the Emperor. Every morning, the Mother and the Father (the Butcher himself) wait for the butcher’s shop to open so they can buy the best meat, even when their son is in a hospital after having been attacked by the Father. The Mother flirts with the Butcher – who embodies her erotic ideal – until she becomes his victim. Nobody suspects the Butcher. Or maybe everybody keeps quiet so they can keep enjoying his excellent meat? The killings go on until all the villagers have eaten one another. Ultimately, only the Watchman understands that the Butcher is behind the murders, but even he is killed in the end. According to the actors of the Teatro Vagante, only hope remains: “even hell can be transformed – I hope”, one of the actors declares.

Actor and puppet

Shadow theatre

Brescia

Consumer society

Meat

Pollution

Famine

Cannibalism

Love

Death

Ecology

Evil

Tragic

Grotesque

Lyrical

Giuliano Scabia, Fantastica visione, stage direction by Alessandro Marinuzzi, 1993.

sopra il taglio e la vendita di carne con cenni alla questione degli attori, dell'arte, del teatro e del mercato generale degli oggetti nel disarmonico presente

Actor

Butcher

Apprentice

Mother

Father

Student

Police officer

Fool

Smuggler

Puppet

Butterfly

Shadow

Emperor

Minister

Valet

Metatheatre

Political allegory

Double characters

Hidden corpse

Blow-with-a-stick

Fight

Flying character

Masked characters

Dead talking character

Puppet theatre within the theatre

Chase

Tragic irony

Stabbing

Scene of recognition

Splitting of the body

Scene in the dark

Seduction scene

Dream

Fantastica visione

Fantastic vision

Joseph is in love with Mary, but she rejects his clumsy advances. Tchantchès tries in vain to help Joseph. The archangel Gabriel appears to Mary and asks her to go back on her decision. He announces that she will have son and that she will have to call him Jesus. Then Gabriel appears to Joseph and reassures him: he will not be rejected this time. Mary and Joseph leave together for Bethlehem. The journey is a long one, the due date is approaching, and Joseph is looking for a place to rest. Pierre (Peter), the owner of a restaurant, offers them to stay in the old stable behind his establishment. They gladly accept. Three Magi present themselves at Herod’s court: they have heard that the King of the Jews is born and are looking to bring him gifts. Jesus is born in the stable. Tchantchès and Nanesse congratulate the parents. The Magi bring him their presents. Later, Joseph learns about the emperor’s order – all the children under two will be killed. He is scared, but Tchantchès promises to help him. While Joseph and Mary are getting ready to flee, Tchantchès fights the knight who has come to kill Jesus and triumphs over him. Joseph and Marie leave for Egypt with their son.