Making a bed of money and lying on it

By Emmelia Georgiou

The Ypogio Theatriri theatre company, whose mission is the development of physical and intellectual expression, presents the play The Miser by the French playwright Molière, which will hit the stage on Saturday for two performances only.

Jean Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature.

In this play, the audience is introduced to Harpagon, an old man whose only concern in life is his cash. He is so obsessed that he buries a small box filled with a lot of money in his backyard.

Harpagon has two children, a son Cleante and daughter Elise. Harpagon wants Cleante’s lover Mariane for himself and wants Elise to marry Anselme, an extremely rich but very old man, against her will.

In the final act of the play, Cleante’s valet La Fleche digs up Harpagon’s backyard treasure and takes off with it, leaving Harpagon in complete distress. His son, however, assures him that he’ll get his money back as soon as he agrees to let him marry Mariane and to let Elise marry her lover Valere. Harpagon only agrees after finding out that the man he wants Élise to marry is actually the long-lost father of both Valere and Mariane. How convenient!

Anselme is prepared to pay Harpagon a lot of money to make the old man just go away and stay out of everybody else’s business.

At the end of the play, the lovers go off to get married and live happily ever after while Harpagon is left to grow old with his money. No, there is no Ebenezer Scrooge moment in this play – Harmagon hasn’t changed, and still sleeps with his moneybags.

If you are looking to watch a hilarious French comedy, this play is for you.

The Miser by Molière
Performance of the play by Molière. July 1. THOC, Nicosia. 11.30am and 6pm. €7. In Greek. Tel: 77-772717

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