Poster for the theater plays “Le Mariage forçé” and “L’Amour médecin” by Molière… An evening of Love, weddings, and scary doctors!

“Le Mariage forçé” – (January 29, 1664) — “The Forced Marriage”

“Le Mariage forçé” was the first play Molière wrote for Louis XIV at Versailles. It belongs to the French genre of the comédie-ballet and was meant as a vehicle for the king himself as dancer and singer with music by court composer Jean-Baptiste Lully.
The plot: Sganarelle, a man of decrepit old age (at 52!), has decided after a life of bachelorhood that he would like to marry the youthful Dorimène. He asks the advice of three people-his friend Géronimo, the scholar Marphurius and the Egyptian magician Alcantor. None are of any help. Meanwhile Dorimène tells her real love Lycaste that since she must marry Sganarelle so that when he dies they will have enough money to live on. When Sganarelle sees that having a wife will cost him freedom and money, he wants to back out, but Dorimène’s brother says if he doesn’t fulfill his promise to marry he will challenge him to a duel.”

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“L’Amour médecin” – (September 15, 1665) — “Love Is the Doctor“

“The central character in “Love Is the Doctor”, Sganarelle, appears with the same name in other Molière comedies, also in the tradition of the commedia dell’arte.
The Plot: Sganarelle is a wealthy businessman and a traditional paterfamilias, with the final word in family matters. He closely guards his daughter, Lucinda, from suitors to avoid having to pay a massive dowry to a son-in-law who, as he complains, might be a perfect stranger. Lucinda and her suitor Clitander plan to marry despite Sganarelle’s opposition. Molière’s notable addition to the intrigue plot in Love Is the Doctoris his satiric treatment of doctors.”