Four short French plays that resurrect tales by authors better known for their fiction. MADEMOISELLE FIFI, adapted by Oscar Metenier from a story by Guy de Maupassant, describes an incident during the German occupation of France after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The officers of an isolated German regiment send to Rouen for prostitutes, but Lt. Wilhelm, better known as Mademoiselle Fifi, mistreats one of the girls, leading to a fatal confrontation. MEETING, adapted by Lucien Mayrargue from a story by Guy de Maupassant, tells of a sailor who returns home after ten years, only to have his savings stolen by the pimp of the girl he sleeps with. In JACQUES DAMOUR, by Emile Zola and Leon Hennique, a man believed dead returns home, only to find that his wife has remarried a prosperous butcher. Finally, in Emile Zola's opera libretto, LAZARUS is raised from the dead by Jesus, only to object to being brought back to life. Four great dramas dealing with life--and death

In POT BOUILLE, the well-known French novelist Emile Zola and dramatist William Busnach combine their talents to unmask the hypocrisy that hides behind the facade of a respectable and fashionable Parisian apartment house. The Josserands are struggling to make ends meet, and at the same time to marry off their two daughters to prosperous businessmen. At the heart of this broken family is a weak husband and domineering, spendthrift wife, who between them create two willful children who are doomed to unhappy lives. The sly and adulterous Berthe seduces a shop owner into marriage, and Hortense eventually runs off with the man she loves--knowing he'll never marry her. The result is an unflattering portrayal of a corrupt, immoral society at the heart of French life in the late nineteenth century. Based on one of the great novels of modern literature

Emile Zola (1840-1902) was one of France's greatest novelists of the nineteenth century, being most famous as a writer for Nana (the story of a courtesan), and in the political world for his role in exposing the frame-up of Captain Dreyfus. However, he had limited success as a dramatist until he partnered with William Busnach, an Algerian Jew. This adaptation of the Zola novel of the same name is a powerful expose of life among the working poor, and the ravaging effects of alcholism on average, decent folk. If fact, what's most striking in this play is how human the workers are, certainly not the "animals" described by opponents of Zola's works. The destruction of a family is portrayed with clinical realism, but also with sympathy and understanding, as each of the characters gradually emerges as a sympathetic (or at least understandable) person in his or her own right. First-rate drama by a master writer

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), Lord Jim tells the story of the Third Mate aboard the ship Patna. When the vessel is holed, Jim freezes and abandons his post, leaving the 800 passengers to their fate. But the ship does not sink, and although the ensuing inquest only strips Jim of his license, the imputation of cowardice is more than the man can bear. He settles in an Asian backwater state and eventually comes to grips with his past, being driven to acts of apparent heroism to prove his worth to others--and especially to himself. But to Conrad, Jim's sacrifice merely proves that he really was a coward after all. First-rate drama

Based on Zola's 1867 novel, and dramatized by the author in 1873, this play is almost a French version of the Russian novel, Crime and Punishment. Therese and her lover, Laurent, decide to kill her likable but sickly husband, Camille (also her husband), and succeed in doing so without arousing any suspicion. The boating accident that ends Camille's life also makes Laurent a hero for rescuing Therese. The lovers remain apart for a year, until friends of the family suggest they marry. But both are remorseful and guilt-ridden. Finally, Therese's mother discovers the truth, but suffers a stroke and cannot speak. She just stares at them, and her presence drives the lovers down the path to destruction. A powerful and believable story that plays well even today.

Three plays by French author Voltaire, author of the classic novel, Candide. THE BARON OF OTRANTO tells the story of the beautiful enslaved girl, Irene, who's quite shameless and uninhibited in using her feminine charms to seduce and defeat her captor, the corsair Abdullah--and thereby free her beloved Baron Otranto. SAMSON is one of the best opera librettos that blends classic Greek and Roman forms with Biblical theme and myth, retelling the Old Testament tale of Samson and Delila. Samson's aria became France's national anthem during the initial phase of the French Revolution. PANDORA retells the classical myth of Prometheus, who steals the fire of life from Heaven and then animates Pandora--his beautiful creation who becomes his wife and lover, and whom Jupiter jealously covets. Great French drama by an icon of French literature.

Tour de Nesle (The Tower of Death) is one of Alexandre Dumas's greatest and most powerful plays, a tale of power and conviction, although its historical accuracy is far from certain. Queen Marguerite and her sisters entertain themselves by luring unsuspecting men to the Tower, which located across the Seine from the Louvre. There they entice their victims to join them for wild sexual escapades--all expressly forbidden, of course, by both Church and State. Once satiated, the ladies have their lovers murdered, and the bodies dumped into the Seine. One man (Buridan) manages to escape, and uses his knowledge of what's taking place to force the Queen to make him Prime Minister. In the end of course, the secret cannot be maintained. Dumas and Gaillardet have used a murky legend of misconduct by the daughters-in-law of King Philip the Fair to construct a compelling picture of life in court in the middle ages, and its ruthless focus on power and sex. Another stunning achievement by one of the greatest French writers

Allan and his companions are stranded at a mountain lodge. He decides to play cards with "The Man" himself, whose encounter with the Devil has left him with the curse of being unable to lose at gambling. Allan doesn't believe such nonsense, but has his own strange meeting later that night--with disastrous consequences. A thrilling tale of terror and horror!

Adapted from Alexandre Dumas Pere's novel, "La San Felice," this play is set in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies during Napoleonic times, and features tyrants, traitors, and great acts of heroism. First translation into English.

Paul de Kock and Adolphe Guenee present a humorous dramatic prequel to the well-known Alexandre Dumas tale of The Three Musketeers. The four would-be adventurers--D'Artagnan, Aramis, Porthos, and Athos--serendipitously encounter each other at an inn outside of Paris, the city where they're heading to escape their present situations and find their fortunes. They also meet there a beautiful noblewoman fleeing an unwanted marriage imposed on her by Cardinal Richelieu--and the girl's elderly husband, the lecherous Marquis. Back and forth across France they chase each other, seeking to rescue the woman's good name. While the drama can be intense at times, it's all in good fun, and ultimately, of course, everything works out for the best--with the four gentlemen earning their commissions as King's Musketeers

Four French comedies on marriage, love, and manners. In THE WIDOW A LA MODE, by Jean Donneau de Vise, the death of an aged husband forces his young widow and other members of his family to scramble quickly to save their fortunes while pretending to be overcome with grief. WAYWARD WENCHES, by Jean-Francois Regnard, is a collection of skits about bad girls who've gone wrong. Michel Baron's THE ABDUCTIONS is a one-act farce about the vagaries of love in a country setting, including cross-dressing and knock-about slapstick shenanigans. Alain-Rene Lesage's THE SCHOOL FOR LOVERS is a comic fantasy opera about what makes romance last--and what kills it. A magician whisks young men and women to an enchanted isle--where they become bored to death with love The characters in these plays are still recognizable, even in modern settings; and this quartet of comedies still makes us laugh. Great entertainment

Three French comedies of love and marriage. Charles Favart contributes two comic operas of considerable verve and humor. In THE DISGUISED LOVER, Julie pretends to be a man, and Clitandre pretends to be a peasant. But it's all in good fun, and while the play doesn't take itself seriously, all's well that ends well. RUSTIC AMOURS is a strange but effective blend of classical opera themes (shepherds and shepherdesses in love), combined with satire about Parisian fops and uncouth peasants--all of whom love the same beautiful shepherdess. Philippe Destouches' TRIPLE MARRIAGE is a beautifully-constructed one-act comedy about marriages that are--from the eighteenth-century high society's point-of-view--inappropriate. Old Matthews wants to marry again, but conceals his desire from his son and daughter, both of whom wish to marry as well--but not the rich old spouses their father has selected for them. Ultimately, the children take matters into their own hands. All three plays could easily be adapted to the modern stage, since their themes are universal.

Four French comedies by Jean-Francois Regnard (with Charles Dufresny), who's considered to be the best comic playwright of his age after Moliere. The sardonic and amusing THE TREE OF CHASTITY has a slight plot, but the double-entendres flying rapidly right and left keep the audience well-entertained. WAIT FOR ME UNDER THE ELM is another farce filled with verve aplenty. THE UNFORESEEN RETURN is a reworking of Plautus' Haunted House with a seventeenth-century setting. THE RIDICULOUS MERCHANT is another comedic romp. These bubbly, even obscene farces still hold up well today, with all of the characters and their situations eminently recognizable to modern audiences. Great dramatic fun

These eight short plays by Louis Carmontelle, Thomas Gueulette, Jan Potocki, and Russian Empress Catherine II the Great (of all people ) were all the rage in eighteenth-century France--short skits that could easily be performed by amateur companies. Since they weren't writing "literature," the authors of these pieces could create anything without adhering to the "dramatic rules." And invent they did Bawdy, even obscene humor permeates many of these works. All of them are wacky, anything-for-a-laugh comedies with little or no attention paid to logic, plots, or themes--just a series of zany, lewd, funny actions near enough to reality to be slightly discomfiting to the popular audiences who loved them. And they still remain as sidesplitting today as they were 200 years ago

Two comedies by a cousin of French King Louis XIV. THE SPIRIT OF CONTRADICTION is an hilarious play about a woman whose sole aim in life is to prevent others (mostly in her own family) from getting their way. So contrary is she to anything that's suggested to her that her husband, daughter, and in-laws must conceal, as best they can, their real wishes. But she knows they know--and this creates absolutely side-splitting situations. This extremely popular comedy had more performances by the Comedie Francaise through 1900 than other play in its repertoire. THE DOUBLE WIDOWING is based on a similar premise: a husband and wife hate each other (and are too hypocritical to say so), but are drawn to their niece and nephew, respectively. This attraction is not reciprocated by the young people, who are in love with each other, but lack the money to marry. The youngsters have to work through a charade to convince their elders to back their union. Two brilliantly funny plays that still hold up well today

Two classical French plays by the author of Candide. IRENE is set in the ancient Byzantine Empire. Alexis Comnenus, a noble general, revolts against the Emperor Nicephorus, who's been jealous of the officer's love for Nicephorus's wife, Irene. The Emperor dies defending his throne, and Alexis takes his place. Now he wants to marry his former lover. But although Irene has loved Alexis since childhood, she cannot marry the murderer of her husband, however odious he may have been. In the end she takes the only way out of her dilemma. TANIS AND ZELIDE tells the tale of Queen Zelide of Egypt, who's been driven from her throne by the Magi, and has taken refuge with the shepherds of the countryside. Tanis, one of the rustics, champions her cause, and wins battles on her behalf, while one of Zelide's loyal officers, Phanor, looks on with jealousy. Phanor betrays his lover to the evil priests, but Tanis prevails, and marches on Memphis, Egypt, where he reveals that he's the avatar of a god. The shepherd marries the Queen, and together they rule Egypt. Two great dramas by an icon of French literature

Well-known French writer Theophile Gautier and Bernard Lopez combine their talents in this send-up of the cloak-and-sword dramas so popular with the Romantics. When the Spanish Queen's horse runs away with her, two unknown caballeros rescue Elizabeth from certain death--despite the fact that Spanish law prohibits anyone but the King and her closest attendants from touching her. But the Queen is not ungrateful, and Dona Beatrix, a Lady-in-Waiting, promises to marry the unknown savior, sight unseen, if the Queen can somehow save her rescuer from the capital punishment demanded by statute. A comedy of errors ensues, with two possible suitors pressing their claims upon Beatrix--and also on the Queen A delightful and hilarious drama that should play well to modern audiences.

Two opera libretti focusing on the theme of the fiery sacrifice of the protagonists. HERCULANEUM, by Joseph Mery, a friend of Alexandre Dumas, is set in 79 A.D. in the doomed city of Herculaneum. Olympia, an oriental queen, sister of the Proconsul Nicanor, falls in love with Helios, a Christian. The queen seduces Helios and takes him from his betrothed, Lilia. Nicanor then tries to seduce and rape Lilia, but is thwarted when Mount Vesuvius erupts. The Christians die happy, believing that they are saved. SARDANAPALUS, by Henri Becque, is a powerful retelling of the fall of Assyria, and the immolation of its last king in the ruins of his capital city. Two French tragedies of love and life in the classical period.

These three plays all deal with the chaos resulting from the aftermath of the fall in 1815 of the Emperor Napoleon. THE MADWOMAN OF BERESINA, by Emmanuel Theaulon and Honore de Balzac, is based on a short story by the latter author. Julie, Countess of Vandieres, witnesses the death of her officer husband during the retreat of the French Army from Russia in 1812, at the River Beresina; although she lives to return to France, she loses her mind. Only after the war do her surviving friends attempt to restore her sanity once again. THE END OF MURAT, by Jean Berleux and Alexandre Dumas, adapted from an incident in a Dumas novel, deals with the fall of Joachim Murat, Napoleonic King of the Two Sicilies, in late 1815, and his trial at the instigation of the restored monarch, King Ferdinand. THE TRIAL OF MARSHAL NEY, by Louis-Marie Fontan and Charles Dupeuty, outlines the trial of one of Napoleon's chief generals and supporters, by command of the restored King Louis XVIII of France. All three dramas provide riveting glimpses into a period when Europe was trying to rediscover itself--without much success. First-rate tragedies

Jean-Francois Regnard (1655-1709) is considered by many critics to be the best writer of comedic plays in seventeenth-century French literature, excepting only Moliere. Regnard based many of his pieces on classical sources, and THE TWO MCNAUGHTENS is no exception, having been adapted from the Roman comedy, Menaechmi, by Plautus. The dramatist chose to adapt rather than simply translate this comedy, restaging it with a fresh British setting. Nonetheless, the basic premise--of twins and their lovers confounding each other in their bumbling attempts to inherit the estate of their uncle--closely follows the original source, save for actual names, places, and monetary denominations--and also manages to replicate the absolute hilarity of the earlier play. Great entertainment for a modern audience

This historical play follows a group of young Frenchmen from 1796-1814, as they're swept up in the Napoleonic Wars. Italy, Egypt, Austria, Russia, and France are mere signposts along the way in this epic drama, with the single unifying element being a flag woven by a group of French women in the mid-1790s, and carried by the soldiers throughout the entire length of their almost twenty-year service to the French nation. Adolphe d'Ennery was a master of theatrical spectacle who had a talent for epic and spectacle that only Alexandre Dumas could equal. He's not interested in high literature, but only in the pathos of the theatre. In Scene IX he depicts the stragglers of the defeated French Army returning from Moscow through a bare, frozen landscape, separated from their loved ones on the Russian steppes. First they pass each other, but fail to recognize their comrades-in-arms. Finally they meet, with great emotion, and just as they do...the Cossacks appear This is grand theatrical entertainment, with the same sweep as Tolstoy's War and Peace.