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World We Live In (The Insect Comedy), The

  • Karel Capek
  • Full Length Play, Comedy, Fantasy/Adventure, Present Day
  • 21M, 9F
  • ISBN: 9780573618062

A wanderer who is something of a philosopher falls asleep after drinking in a forest. In his dream he observes the comedy and tragedy in the lives of the insects, whose problems and affairs are like those of humankind.

More information

Description

  • Full Length Play
  • Comedy, Fantasy/Adventure
  • 105 minutes

  • Time Period: Present Day
  • Target Audience: Teen (Age 14 - 18), Senior, Adult
  • Set Requirements: Exterior Set

  • Performance Group:
  • Dinner Theatre, Community Theatre, High School/Secondary, Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups, College Theatre / Student
A wanderer who is something of a philosopher falls asleep after drinking in a forest. In his dream he observes the comedy and tragedy in the lives of the insects, whose problems and affairs are like those of humankind. The butterflies make violent love. The beetles hoard money and live selfishly. The ichneumon flies murder crickets and stuff their larders with food, and parasites greedily devour what others work to save. Finally, the red and yellow ants wage war to see which shall have the right to travel a particular sunlit path between two blades of grass.

Premiere Production: The World We Live In premiered at the Jolson Theatre, New York.

Characters

  • Casting: 21M, 9F
  • Casting Attributes: Room for Extras, Flexible casting
  • Casting Notes: The actors impersonating the insects should be chosen with an eye to personalities that can be made up to suggest the various types they are portraying.

  • VARGRANT - a shabby fellow, drunk and rather battered and worn in appearance.
    PROFESSOR - a middle-aged man
    WOODCUTTER - a well-built, vigorous man of forty-five
    WOMAN - a peasant of thirty-five
    APATURA IRIS
    APATURA CLYTHIA
    FELIX
    VICTOR
    OTAKAR
    YOUNG BUTTERFLIES
    CHRYSALIS
    MALE BEETLE
    FEMALE BEETLE
    ANOTHER MALE BEETLE
    ICHNEUMON FLY
    ITS LARVA
    MALE CRICKET
    FEMALE CRICKET
    PARASITE
    BAND OF PILLAGERS
    BLIND ANT
    DICTATOR
    HEAD OF GENERAL STAFF
    COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF YELLOW ANTS
    INVENTOR
    QUARTERMASTER
    JOURNALIST
    WAR WORKER
    BOND SALESMAN
    TELEGRAPHER
    MESSENGER
    SOLDIERS OF THE ANY REALM
    ANT WORKMAN, SOLDIERS, CLERKS, MESSENGERS, WOUNDED, ARMY OF THE BLACK, ARMY OF THE YELLOW
    MOTHS
    SNAILS
    A BABY

    • Available Material

    Name Price
    World We Live In (The Insect Comedy), The Script Order Now

    A wanderer who is something of a philosopher falls asleep after drinking in a forest. In his dream he observes the comedy and tragedy in the lives of the insects, whose problems and affairs are like those of humankind. The butterflies make violent love. The beetles hoard money and live selfishly. The ichneumon flies murder crickets and stuff their larders with food, and parasites greedily devour what others work to save. Finally, the red and yellow ants wage war to see which shall have the right to travel a particular sunlit path between two blades of grass.

    		 $24.95

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