Excerpt Terms & Conditions This excerpt is available to assist you in the play selection process. You may view, print and download any of our excerpts for perusal purposes. Excerpts are not intended for performance, classroom or other academic use. In any of these cases you will need to purchase playbooks via our website or by phone, fax or mail. A short excerpt is not always indicative of the entire work, and we strongly suggest reading the whole play before planning a production or ordering a cast quantity of scripts. Family Plays The Divine Commedia Comedy by JOHN EVARTS © Family Plays The Divine Commedia Produced by all three middle schools in the Denton Independent School District in Texas, in 2001, The Divine Commedia was invited to perform at the Texas State Thespian Conference in Wichita Falls, where it received a standing ovation. Comedy. By John Evarts. Cast: 11m., 5w., extras. A troupe of commedia players attempts to present a play, but they are quickly shut down by Father Federico, the local priest. Needing to perform in order to eat, the actors change their play to the story of Adam and Eve. The story takes on a new twist as it is shaped to the personalities of the commedia stock characters: Arlechinno, the mischievous servant; Pantalone, the lecherous miser; Puchinella (Puccio), the ill-tempered humpback; Dottore (Doctor), the academic windbag; Pedrolino, the simple-minded fool; Capitano (Captain), the braggart soldier who is a coward at heart; and the two lovers, Isabella and Flavio—more in love with love than each other. Author John Evarts says the low humor and slapstick of commedia may seem an odd choice to wed to a Bible story, but this type of humor was a major part of the dramatized Bible mystery plays of the Middle Ages. One ext. set: the town square of a small Italian village. Time: late 16th century. The large, flexible cast includes the players and villagers. Approximate running time: 50 minutes. Code: DD5. ISBN-10 0-88680-492-2 Family Plays ISBN-13 978-0-88680-492-3 311 Washington St., Woodstock, IL 60098-3308 Phone: (800) 448-7469 / (815) 338-7170 Fax: (800) 334-5302 / (815) 338-8981 www.FamilyPlays.com The Divine Commedia © Family Plays THE DIVINE (OMMEDI.H by jOHN EVARTS I. E. CLARK PUBLICATIONS Familywww.ieclark.com Plays 311 Washington St., Woodstock, IL 60098 © Family Plays *** NOTICE *** The amateur and stock acting rights to this work are controlled exclusively by FAMILY PLAYS without whose permission in writing no performance of it may be given. Royalty must be paid every time a play is performed whether or not it is presented for profit and whether or not admission is charged. A play is performed any time it is acted before an audience. 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For performance of any songs, music and recordings mentioned in this play which are in copyright, the permission of the copyright owners must be obtained or other songs and recordings in the public domain substituted. © 2002 by JOHN EVARTS Printed in the United States of America All Rights Reserved (THE DIVINE COMMEDIA) ISBN: 978-0-88680-492-3 © Family Plays IMPORTANT BILLING AND CREDIT REQUIREMENTS All producers of the play must give credit to the author(s) of the play in all pro- grams distributed in connection with performances of the play and in all instances in which the title of the play appears for purposes of advertising, publicizing or otherwise exploiting the play and/or a production. The name of the author(s) must also appear on a separate line, on which no other name appears, immediately following the title, and must appear in size of type not less than fifty percent the size of the title type. Biographical information on the author(s), if included in the playbook, may be used in all programs. In all programs this notice must appear: “Produced by special arrangement with Family Plays of Woodstock, Illinois” © Family Plays v This play was originally produced by all three middle schools in the Denton Independent School District (Calhoun School, McMath Middle School, Strickland Middle School) in Denton, Texas during October 200l. lt was directed by Sabrina Burgert. Produced by Karen Gossett with costumes by Barbara Stafford. The productionwas invited to perform atthe Texas StateThespian Conference in Witchita Falls where it received a standing ovation. Arlechinno (Snake) ........................................................................ Bradley Rogers Dottore(Archangel) .............................................................................. Cody Early Flavio (Adam) .................................................................... ............... Kyle Johnson Pantalone(Master) .......................................................................... ThomasCarter Isabella(Eve) ............................................................... .................... Laura Hopkins Puccio (Bird) .................................................................................... TrevorSewell Peppe Nappa Jessica Severance Capitano............................................................... ............................... Kirby Enoch Columbina (Bird) ............................................................................... Jessie Devall Pedrolino ............................................................................................ Bailey Lenart Servette ................... .......................................... ..................... ElizabethShoemaker FatherFederico .............................................................................. Keith Sprabeary Nun#! ........................................................................................ Sandy Masciarelli Nun#2 .................................................................................. Vanessa Blume-Webb PrinceCaspari .................................................................................... Jarvis Hodge Soldier ................................................................................................ DanielCarter Musicians ................................................. Will Frenkel, Alison Paul, Cato Platt & ....................................................................................................... BeccaWalters Townspeople .............................................. Patricia Judy, Cato Platt & AnaSeaton Assistant Directors ............................................ Victoria Scheider & Patricia Judy Lights ........................................................................................... DerekDeiterrnan © Family Plays iv CAST OF CHARACTERS ARLECHINNO-The leader of the commedia troupe, he uses all his wits to keep the performance going over the objections of the town priest. In the story of Adam and Eve, Arlechinno takes on the role of the serpent (the tempter). DOTIORE-An academic windbag. He will play the role of archangel. FLAVIO-A great lover. He will play the role of Adam. ISABELLA-A great lover. She will play the role of Eve. PANTALONE-Alecherous miser. Pantalone will assume the role of God. PUCCIO-More commonly known as Puchinella. He is a mean tempered humpback with a high squeaky voice. He will play the role of a hen-pecked bird. COLUMBINA-A sharp tongued beauty. She will play the role of a bird who hen-pecks her husband, Puccio. PEPPE NAPPA-The prop master of the troupe. He speaks with a ridiculous Italian accent like Chico Marx. He will take on the role of an angel. PEDROLINO-A noble hearted fool who thinks with his stomach. He will play the role of an angel and later will play the role of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. CAPITANO-A braggart soldier, he is really a great coward. He will play the role of the angel who guards the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. SERVETTE-a sassy serving girl. She flirts with the audience at every opportunity. FEDERICO-the local priest. He genuinely wishes to protect the people of his village from corruption. PRINCE CASPARI-He stays incognito as part of the audience until the end of the play. NUNS, SOLDIERSand MUSICIANS Time: The late 16th Century. Setting: The square of an Italian village. © Family Plays iii ABOUT THE PLAY A troupe of commedia players attemptto present a play but are quickly shut down by Father Federico, the local priest. Needing to perform in order to eat,