Curtain Call
... search synopsis of the play “The Trickeries of Scapin” by Moliere Overview The Trickeries of Scapin (original French: Les Fourberies de Scapin) is a 1671 three-act comedy by the French playwright Molière, first performed on May 24, 1671, at the Palais Royal, where Molière himself played the title role. Set in Naples, the play is a farce based on the commedia dell'arte character Scapino and retains elements of Terence's Phormio, blending classical comedy with modern, lively situations. Plot Synopsis The story centers on two young men, Octave (son of the miserly Argante) and Leandre (son of the equally stingy Geronte), who have secretly married women of lower social standing—Hyacinthe and Zerbinette, respectively—while their fathers are away on business. The fathers return with plans to arrange advantageous marriages for their sons, unaware of their secret unions. Desperate for money to secure their marriages, Octave and Leandre enlist the help of Scapin, a cunning and res...