The Schemings of Scapin [7] - Zerbinette

From The Big Book of Molière Monologues by actor/author Timothy Mooney. A collection of over 160 of Molière's funniest monologues in new rhymed iambic pentameter versions. Molière created perhaps his boldest, cleverest, most powerful and audacious character in the servant, Scapin. The Schemings of Scapin is more thoroughly influenced than any of Molière’s great comedies by the then-popular commedia dell’arte. There are the several archtypical characters and slapstick scenes. But even more (like Commedia), the play feels improvised, as Scapin is thrown into situations in which he must create wild and outrageous stories off of the top of his head in order to trick the fathers out of large sums of money. As such, Scapin comes off as brave, brilliant and daring, throwing himself into the path of the raging fathers, never knowing exactly how he will lead them through these lies, but confident, nevertheless, in his own ability to think on his feet.see less