Scapin the Schemer
| Scapin the Schemer | |
|---|---|
Front page of Les Fourberies de Scapin | |
| Written by | Molière |
| Characters |
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| Date premiered | May 24, 1671 |
| Place premiered | Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris |
| Original language | French |
| Genre | Comedy of intrigue |
| Setting | Naples, Italy |
Scapin the Schemer (French: Les Fourberies de Scapin) is a three-act comedy of intrigue by the French playwright Molière. The title character Scapin is similar to the archetypical Scapino character. The play was first staged on 24 May 1671 in the theatre of the Palais-Royal in Paris.
The original play is in French but, like many of Molière's plays, it has been translated into many different languages. Adaptations in English include the 1676 The Cheats of Scapin by Thomas Otway and Scapino by Frank Dunlop and Jim Dale in 1974, which has also been further adapted by Noyce Burleson. Bill Irwin and Mark O'Donnell also adapted the play, as Scapin, in 1995.
In the play, Octave has secretly married without his father's permission. Léandre has also chosen his own prospective wife. When their respective fathers reveal their plans for arranged marriages for their boys, the sons want to keep their current spouses. The trickster Scapin intervenes on their behalf, convinced that nothing is impossible to achieve.