The Miser (Chambers)
by Jean-baptiste Moliere
Synopsis
THE STORY: The aging but vital Harpagon is hoarding every centime he can get his hands on, making sure that his two children, the virginal Elise and the dandy Cleante, live under his iron will.
To complicate matters, Elise has fallen in love with the handsome Valere, who masquerades as a servant in the household, despite his noble birth, and, worse yet, Cleante and Harpagon are both smitten with the same woman, the beautiful, if somewhat dim, Marianne.
Meanwhile, scheming servants and assorted hustlers angle for Harpagon's incredible wealth, much of which is now buried and protected by snarling Dobermans.
The delirious plot spirals to a wildly comic finish, filled with all the masterful plot twists and outrageous revelations one would expect from one of Molière's finest plays.
Press Reviews
"With results ranging from clever to hilarious, translator David Chambers blends a pure line-for-line translation with the liberally political Henry Fielding version, resulting in a script both audaciously irreverent and intellectually true to Molière's 325-year-old original.“ —Variety. ”The new, loony-tune mad MISER…spins the French comedy classic through a blackly funny, fun-house mirror."
— Orange County Register
"…highly accessible new translation…takes bold chances without ever losing sight of Molière's original intent…A MISER in which more is always more—what could be more fitting for a play about greed?“ —The Baltimore Sun. ”The saucy serving of THE MISER…is for those who like their French fare spicy and au courant. The veteran translator James Magruder provides a burlesque kick to Molière's 336-year-old farce, and the result is a delectable evening of shameless off-color gags and timeless double-entendres.“ —Washington Post. ”Magruder has done a wonderful job of tweaking and freshening the 17th-century French farce. It is downright beautiful to behold and marvelous to hear…this [play] is laugh-out-loud funny, and the topical references are fresh, not forced.“ —Baltimore Guide. ”…[THE MISER] is generous in its amorous plotting and slapstick-level humor. It's so fast and silly that no dust could possibly settle on Molière's classic play. Much of that lively spirit is due to a new transl"
— Lifetimes
Characters
| Character |
|---|
Elise early 20s, his daughter |
Valere valet to Harpagon, in love with Elise |
Cleante son to Harpagon, in love with Marianne |
Marianne 18, the girl next door |
La Fleche 20s, 30s, valet to Cleante, disguises himself as a German marriage contractor |
Maitre Jacques young to middle-age, Ze chef |
Frosine 40ish, a marriage broker, disguises herself as the lisping Mme. Poquelin |
Maitre Simon young to middle-age, a broker, also plays Inspector Sansclou |
Inspector Sansclou the original Clouseau, played by the Actor playing Simon |
Harpagon 60s, a miser |
Available Editions
Publication
The Miser (Chambers) is a comedy play written by Jean-baptiste Moliere and published by Dramatists Play Service (2006).
Digital editions available on Amazon Kindle.
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Malleson
Samuel French · 80 pp
Performance Rights
Restrictions: Major Markets Plus (US) / Standard Plus Add'l Postcodes (UK)
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