(a synopsis)
Original Title in French: Le Systeme Ribadier
Copyright, 1997, Ellis Toussier. All rights reserved. The full script of this play is available free of charge on diskette; or on paper, at cost including mailing costs. Permission is given to reproduce the full scripts in print, or on video or audio tape, on condition that it is for private use, and a copy is sent to Ellis Toussier and this copyright notice is always included. Permission is also given to perform the play without cost to the audience, if Ellis Toussier is sent an invitation to be present. Permission to perform the play before a paying audience, or any other commercial use of this play requires written permission from Ellis Toussier.
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Professor Ribald has found a novel way of going off on romantic escapades... he hypnotizes his wife, Angela, and leaves her in a trance, and when he returns she remembers nothing. But of course this can't work forever...
Enter a new suitor for his wife, who has been living in self imposed exile in Saudi Arabia... When Thompson arrives, he begs Angela to marry him, but she will have nothing to do with him...
Professor Ribald, however, invites his old friend Thompson to stay in their home... Professor Ribald demonstrates to his friend how clever he is, and he hypnotizes Angela and leaves her asleep, safely locked up in the living room. Now the fun begins...
The chauffer climbs in through the window to get to the maid's chamber, tearing his coat on the window. Shortly after, Thompson crawls in through the window to get to Angela... Thompson remembers how the Professor told him he would end the trance, which he does. Angela is now awake...
Thompson begs Angela to marry him, but she scoffs at him, pointing out that she is already married to Professor Ribald. Suddenly they hear Professor Ribald return... Thompson is unable to hypnotize Angela again, and crawls out the window in a hurry.
Professor Ribald rushes into the room, and behind him enters Fitzgerald, his lover's husband. Angela, who is awake, pretends to be hypnotized, and hears the insulted husband threaten to kill her own unfaithful husband... But Professor Ribald convinces Fitzgerald that if nobody would ever hear about his wife's infidelity, then he would have no reason to feel insulted... Fitzgerald agrees not to kill him, but on condition that nobody will ever know about the love affair. Professor Ribald agrees to keep the secret, and the irate Fitzgerald leaves.
It is now Angela's turn to be irate. She tells the Professor that she knows the truth... Truth? What truth? The Professor quickly hypnotizes her again, and when she awakens the Professor and Thompson are playing cards...
Angela is convinced that it was all only a dream, and begs her husband to forgive her for having such a dream, when suddenly Fitzgerald returns... He is for real, and not part of her dream... Fitzgerald, seeing that the secret is out, challenges Professor Ribald to a duel...
Again Professor Ribald convinces him to spare his life... but now he wants to know how Angela was awakened... Angela decides to teach the Professor a lesson, and announces she had been seduced when she was hypnotized, and enjoyed it, too... Professor Ribald is tormented because it was his fault... The torn piece of cloth is found on the window, leading the Professor to believe the chauffeur was Angela's lover...
After many more laughs, the play ends with the Professor back together with Angela, and Thompson returning to self-imposed-exile in Saudi Arabia.
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The following files are too large for me to exhibit here, and my technical knowledge still doesn't permit me to post them in my Geocities home. But please write to me requesting them and I will send them to you free of charge, on a 3.5 inch diskette, in ASCII and/or Word format, which you may view on screen, or print on paper; or I'll send you a paper copy, at cost. The cost of a bound fotostatic paper copy of one full play, (which is much more expensive than a commercially printed book) including mailing, is $10.00 dollars...
Full scripts available, 3 act plays, free of charge. Read the synopsis:
The Ribald System
synopsis, Cuckold Schmuckold
synopsis, Meet Me at the Pussycat!
Also, read these two one act plays by Georges Feydeau, available here:
Enjoy.
Ellis Toussier