The play's the thing by Ferenc Molnár and P. G. Wodehouse
"The Play's the Thing" by Ferenc Molnár, adapted by P. G. Wodehouse, is a comedic play written in the early 20th century. The narrative centers on the intersecting lives of three characters: Sandor Turai, a famous dramatist; Albert Adam, a young composer; and Ilona Szabo, a prima donna. The play unfolds in an Italian castle and humorously explores themes of love, jealousy, and the complexities of relationships within the theatrical world. The
opening of the play introduces us to Turai and his collaborators, Mansky and Adam, as they arrive at a beautiful Italian villa. Their conversations are imbued with humorous reflections on writing plays, particularly the challenge of introducing characters effectively. Adam, smitten with Ilona, eagerly anticipates seeing her, but they soon discover that she is off on a picnic, creating a sense of urgency for their reunion. Tension escalates when it becomes clear that Ilona has a complicated history with Almady, a prominent actor residing in the castle, leading to a series of comical misunderstandings and romantic entanglements. As Turai deliberates on how to craft their tangled emotions into a successful play, the groundwork is set for a dramatic and humorous exploration of love's trials in the world of theater. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Carla Foust, Aaron Adrignola and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Reading Level
Reading ease score: 88.2 (6th grade). Easy to read.
