The Miser (Magruder) - Acting Edition

THE STORY: The widower Harpagon, so cheap he'd swipe the pennies off a dead man's eyes, rules his roost with a tight, iron fist. His unhappy, rebellious children, Cléante and Elise, are afraid to tell him of their romantic attachments: Cléante has fallen in love with the beautiful but penniless Mariane, who lives with her invalid mother, and Elise has secretly promised to wed Valère, a young charmer of unknown parentage who has flattered his way into being Harpagon's chief steward. When Harpagon reveals his own marital designs-he will wed Mariane himself and yoke Elise to the wealthy but aged Seigneur Anselme-children, suitors, disgruntled servants, and the wily Jill-of-all-trades Frosine conspire to foil the miser before the marriages can take place. When Harpagon's treasure, buried in the backyard, is stolen, he rounds up all the suspects-including the audience-and threatens torture and imprisonment. Only the last-minute arrival of Seigneur Anselme, bearing secrets of his own, can unite the proper couples and restore Harpagon to his one true love-40,000 pounds in gold.translated and adapted by James Magruder Molière is the author of 'The Miser (Magruder) - Acting Edition', published 2005 under ISBN 9780822219996 and ISBN 0822219999.