This comedy left me wanting a little more tension between the characters. The play is full of stock characters and is tremendously funny, but an overall highly unlikely situation. However, unlike other farces and comedies that I’ve read from this era, there is a very clear story that dramatizes the consequences of lying, even if the protagonist doesn’t learn anything by the end of the tale.
I was most surprised about the amount of agency all the women have, especially Isabelle and Sabine. They aren’t afraid to speak their mind or demand that they be heard. I also appreciated how suave Dorante is. His lies are beautifully crafted and he is an amazing story teller. I only wish the audience could have seen him use his gifts to benefit someone else besides himself.
Dorante, a newly trained lawyer, and his valet, Clinton, meet two women in Paris. Dorante concocts an outrageous lie about his war efforts in an attempt to impress the fair ladies. He then chooses to pursue Clarice, unknowingly believing she has the name of friend, Lucrece. Dorante’s father, Geronte, tells Dorante that he is going to marry Clarice. Dorante, trying to get out of the marriage, tells Clarice he is
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The social satire should be reflected in the costume pieces. I imagine the period of this piece to be set in the 1740s, but I may take some inspiration from the Baroque era. The major class difference will be between the lovers (and parents) to the maid and butler. The image of Sabine, Isabelle, and Clinton are ones that I need to pay close attention to. In my eyes, those three characters could steal the show. The maid and her sister bring about another issue, how can I simplify and elegantly represent two separate two separate people when their quick change is less than 10 seconds because one actress is playing both characters? This is a definitely an aspect that I need to give more