The Miser (Chambers)
by Jean-baptiste Moliere

Name: The Miser (Chambers)
Brand: Jean-baptiste Moliere
SKU: 9780573012792
Rating: 3.56 (90 reviews)

The Miser (Chambers) Book Cover — The Miser (Chambers) Cover

Highlights

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120 minsFlexible Cast SizeInterior SetComedy

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	Gender	Age	Description
Elise early 20s, his daughter	female	20s	early 20s, his daughter
Valere valet to Harpagon, in love with Elise	—	—	valet to Harpagon, in love with Elise
Cleante son to Harpagon, in love with Marianne	—	—	son to Harpagon, in love with Marianne
Marianne 18, the girl next door	—	—	18, the girl next door
La Fleche 20s, 30s, valet to Cleante, disguises himself as a German marriage contractor	—	20s	20s, 30s, valet to Cleante, disguises himself as a German marriage contractor
Maitre Jacques young to middle-age, Ze chef	—	—	young to middle-age, Ze chef
Frosine 40ish, a marriage broker, disguises herself as the lisping Mme. Poquelin	—	40s	40ish, a marriage broker, disguises herself as the lisping Mme. Poquelin
Maitre Simon young to middle-age, a broker, also plays Inspector Sansclou	—	—	young to middle-age, a broker, also plays Inspector Sansclou
Inspector Sansclou the original Clouseau, played by the Actor playing Simon	—	—	the original Clouseau, played by the Actor playing Simon
Harpagon 60s, a miser	—	60s	60s, a miser

Available Editions

Format	Publisher	Year	Pages	ISBN-13	Price
Paperback · Malleson	Samuel French	—	80	9780573012792	£10.10
Paperback	Samuel French	2006	84	9780881453263	£11.65
Paperback · Thomas	Samuel French	—	—	9780573700309	£11.97
Paperback	Dramatists Play Service	—	—	9780822213413	£15.83
Paperback · Magruder	Dramatists Play Service	—	—	9780822219996	Buy