A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

The World We Live In (The Insect Comedy)

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  9w, 21m

Karel Capek

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. Th…

The World We Live In (The Insect Comedy)

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    9w, 21m
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Fables/Folktales
  • Suggested Use
    • Cutting Approved for Competition
    • UIL Approved
    • Competition or audition material
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior, Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
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.
History
The World We Live In premiered at the Jolson Theatre, New York.
Keywords
Performing Groups
VARGRANT - A shabby fellow, drunk and rather battered and woen 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
QUARTERMANSTER
JOURNALIST
WAR WORKER
BOND SALESMAN
TELEGRAPHER
MESSENGER
SOLDIERS OF TEH ANT REALM
ANT WORKMEN, SOLDIERS, CLERKS, MESSENGERS, WOUNDED, ARMY OF THE BLACK, ARMY OF THE YELLOW
MOTHS
SNAILS
A BABY

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.

  • Time Period Present Day
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Duration 105 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

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Authors

Author

Karel Capek

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