Synopsis
The Learned Ladies
Published by Dramatists Play Service
Large Mixed Cast
Clitandre seeks the hand of Henriette, a match heartily approved of by her father, Chrysale
However, his wife, Philaminte, has other plans for her younger daughter - namely marriage to Trissotin, a foppish wit who panders to Philaminte's intellectual pretensions
Further complications are introduced by Armande, Henriette's older sister, who once rejected Clitandre but now resents his attentions to Henriette
Also by Bélise, Chrysale's sister, who believes (erroneously) that all men are wildly in love with her
And by Vadius, a scholar jealous of Trissotin's hold on Philaminte
Needless to say the course of true love does not run smoothly, as the pseudo-intellectual posturings of Philaminte and her coterie clash with the struggle between Chrysale and Philaminte over who shall ordain the disposition of their daughter's hand
But happily, and thanks to the maneuvering of Chrysale's brother, Ariste, all is set right in the end, with hypocrisy exposed and true love made triumphant
Following his highly acclaimed translations of The School For Wives, Tartuffe and The Misanthrope, Pulitzer Price-winning poet Richard Wilbur now offers a sparkling new version of Molière's witty examination of intellectual pretension and the vicissitudes of love