Was there more to medieval and Renaissance comedy than Chaucer and
Shakespeare? Bien sûr. For a real taste of saucy early European humor,
one must cross the Channel to France. There, in the fifteenth and early
sixteenth centuries, the sophisticated met the scatological in popular
performances presented by roving troupes in public squares that skewered
sex, politics, and religion. For centuries, the scripts for these
outrageous, anonymously written shows were available only in French
editions gathered from scattered print and manuscript sources. Now
prize-winning theater historian Jody Enders brings twelve of the
funniest of these farces to contemporary English-speaking audiences in
The Farce of the Fart and Other Ribaldries. Enders's translation
captures the full richness of the colorful characters, irreverent humor,
and over-the-top plotlines, all in a refreshingly uncensored American
vernacular.
Those who have never heard the one about the Cobbler, the Monk, the
Wife, and the Gatekeeper should prepare to be shocked and entertained.
The Farce of the Fart and Other Ribaldries is populated by hilarious
characters high and low. For medievalists, theater practitioners, and
classic comedy lovers alike, Enders provides a wealth of information
about the plays and their history. Helpful details abound for each play
about plot, character development, sets, staging, costumes, and props.
This performance-friendly collection offers in-depth guidance to actors,
directors, dramaturges, teachers, and their students.
The Farce of the Fart and Other Ribaldries puts fifteenth-century
French farce in its rightful place alongside Chaucer, Shakespeare,
commedia dell'arte, and Molière--not to mention Monty Python. Vive la
Farce!
