245:, who needs to arrange an entertainment for the day's ceremonies, is in conference with the director of the royal theater, the trainer of the seals, and the Illusionist (in actuality the King of the Ondines). Soon they are joined by the poet Bertram and several ladies of the court. The Illusionist says he will arrange a little private entertainment while they are waiting. As to what they would like to see, everyone is curious to see what will happen when Hans and the embittered Bertha finally meet after avoiding each other for three months. The Illusionist says he can arrange for this event to take place at once. Bertram objects asking, "Why are we doing this evil thing?" The Chamberlain cynically replies, "Sooner or later it would have to happen. That's life." They all conceal themselves behind a pillar and watch as the inevitable events unfold. Hans and Bertha meet. Bertha manipulates Hans with guilt. The Illusionist gives the spectators a further glimpse into the future showing them the scene when Hans realizes that he married the wrong woman. Bertha intimately knows the Wittenstein family history, she plays the lute, she recites, she illuminates manuscripts—she is the perfect woman. When Bertha asks Hans what Ondine does that might advance her husband's interests at court, he replies, "Oh, she swims. Occasionally."
253:
king's nose. Ondine tactlessly mentions that the
Chamberlain's hand is damp and constantly interrupts him to talk to Bertram with whom she immediately establishes a rapport. At the king's reception Ondine cannot take her eyes off Bertha. She accuses Bertha of trying to steal Hans from her. The King says, "Bertha only wants to be your friend." Ondine replies, "You are entirely mistaken! Bertha is a hypocrite. She flatters you constantly. Has she ever dared to speak to you about...the wart on your nose?" In panic, the Chamberlain clears the room. Ondine is alone with the king. The king asks, "Who are you, Ondine?" Ondine explains everything and says that she weeps because "they are trying to take Hans away from me." "But what if they did", the king asks. "Would that be such a misfortune?" Ondine answers, "Oh yes. If he deceives me, he will die." The king says, "Men have been known to survive such things." "Not this one", Ondine replies.
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forget everything. Hans laments that their parting will be "a real farewell, a farewell forever. Not like those lovers who part, but are destined to be reunited again in the afterlife. We part for eternity, we go to different worlds." They recall their first meeting, the night Hans came out of the storm. Ondine recalls that she said, "In after years we shall have this hour to remember. The hour before you kissed me." Hans says, "I can't wait. Now, Ondine. Kiss me now." As they kiss, the third Ondine calls. Hans dies. Ondine looks around in puzzlement. She asks, "Who is this handsome young man lying here, can you bring him back to life, Old One?" He replies, "Impossible." As the curtain falls Ondine says, "What a pity! How I should have loved him!"
29:
283:. The Old One leaps to her defense saying, "This woman could call upon the earth and the heavens to do her bidding. But she gave up her power to be human. Write this into your record, Judge — this Ondine was the most human being that ever lived. She was human by choice." In the end the judges decide that Ondine transgressed the boundaries of nature, but in so doing she brought only kindness and love. So they are compassionate in merely sentencing her to death while sparing her a public execution. The earthly judges have no power over Ondine, however, and as the executioner attempts to lead her away, the Old One waves him off.
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Bertha, how she lied to me, that woman!" Bertha points out that Ondine was no woman, "you married a creature of another world. You must forget her." Hans remembers the day that Ondine left and asks, "But why does she proclaim to the world that she deceived me with
Bertram?" In addition to being preoccupied with Ondine, Hans is worried because the servants are starting to speak in poetry and there is a Wittenstein legend that this always happens just before misfortune strikes. Two fishermen arrive. The second fisherman is the Old One. They have caught Ondine. Two judges from the
275:"My complaint? My complaint is the complaint of all mankind. I claim the right to be left in peace in a world that is free of intrusions by these creatures. Has there never been an age when they did not afflict us?" The judge answers, "An age? There has never been a moment." But the other judge says, "Yes, there was once a moment. For that instant, the whole world was single-hearted, at play, at peace — and yet I tasted for the first time a certain loneliness."
229:, Hans von Wittenstein zu Wittenstein, arrives seeking shelter. He is welcomed and while he is in the midst of telling Auguste and Eugenie about his betrothed, the princess Bertha, Ondine appears. On seeing Hans she says, "How beautiful he is!" In spite of taunts from Ondine's sister naiads, and against the advice of Auguste, Hans immediately falls in love with Ondine. All thought of Bertha, his "dark angel" — the woman who sent him off on his
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puts it: "A young man of good family is engaged to a girl of his own class. He suddenly becomes infatuated with a blonde of an inferior class and, impulsively, he marries this girl. But she doesn't make him happy, and after the vicissitudes usual in such cases of misalliance, the young man goes back
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are summoned and immediately put her on trial. Ondine is brought in draped in the net in which she was caught. She does not deny being an Ondine and proclaims to all who will listen that she deceived Hans with
Bertram. The judge asks Hans to clearly state the exact nature of his complaint. Hans says,
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But Hans must die because of the original pact between the Old One and Ondine. The Old One says kindly to Ondine, "If you wish, I will let him die at the same moment that you forget him." Hans and Ondine have one last moment of tenderness. Her sisters will call Ondine three times, and then she will
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a completeness, a sense of fully-rounded achievement, accompanied by an all-pervading if gentle melancholia gripping audience and actors alike, which puts this play in a category of its own ... The naive and the ultra sophisticated are blended here in such a manner as to blur the frontiers of human
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In
Laurent LeSage's words, "No elemental spirit, she is a glimpse of a better and purer world ... But if man dreams of such love which turns life into paradise, he cannot endure its reality," adding that the closing scenes "constitute a remarkably poignant lovers' farewell ... The play closes on a
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As the trial progresses it becomes clear that Hans is still in love with Ondine. Ondine, in a vain attempt to get out of her pact with the Old One (Hans must die because he deceived Ondine with Bertha) continues to insist that she deceived Hans first with
Bertram. Bertram is summoned and supports
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is "the liaison of man with the natural elements, the flirtation of the natural world with the kingdom of man." The story bears a fairly close resemblance to de la Motte Fouqué's original tale, but, "Instead of being the story of a water-sprite who marries a man to acquire a soul, the play becomes
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of the
Wittenstein. Five years have passed. Hans has deceived Ondine with Bertha, and Ondine has long since vanished. It is the morning of the day of the marriage of Bertha and Hans. But Hans is troubled. He tells Bertha, that she should have married a man full of pride and joy. He complains, "Oh
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The
Illusionist has one more scene. Bertha is revealed to be not a princess, but the long lost daughter of Auguste and Eugenie. When Bertha refuses to acknowledge her true parents, the king banishes her until she apologizes. She leaves sobbing but, at Ondine's urging, is soon forgiven. After the
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structure, the
Illusionist presents the remaining events of the day in scenes which the astonished participants themselves watch from behind the pillar. The Chamberlain just has time to prepare Ondine for her reception with the king. Ondine is particularly advised not to mention the wart on the
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The play opens in a fisherman's hut near a lake in the forest. Outside a storm rages. Here live the old fisherman
Auguste and his wife Eugenie. And here lives Ondine whom the old couple found as a baby at the edge of the lake, and brought up in place of their own daughter who was mysteriously
222:, the wind, and even the King of the Ondines himself (throughout the play referred to as the Old One) peer in at the windows gently mocking Auguste. Evidently this is not unusual—the old couple are well aware that Ondine is "not like anyone else".
233:— is banished. Ondine in turn swears eternal love for Hans. The Old One warns her, "The man will deceive you. He will abandon you." Ondine does not believe him. He gives a final warning "You will remember our pact." Ondine reluctantly agrees.
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events of this disastrous day, Ondine laments, "Oh, how difficult it is to live among you, where what has happened can never again not have happened. How terrible to live where a word can never be unspoken and a gesture can never be unmade."
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to his first love, a brunette who is socially most acceptable. He is now in a predicament. He cannot live without the blonde; the brunette is indispensable to his happiness, and, torn apart by these two loves, the man dies."
416:"Impulsive, frank and filled with wonder, Ondine is a creature of water and air, riding the storm at night, spontaneously performing little feats of magic ... delivers nearly three hours of pure magic and philosophy"
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remarked that "Ondine is a force of nature but also love incarnate, and Hans's tragedy is that he is as unequal to such a love as he is to the revelations of nature which Ondine brings."
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novel. The characters and situations are hyperbolic, mythical, biblical and canonical, and yet the text contains disorienting psychological insight"
608:). This site-integrated production ran in 2015 using the original English translation by Maurice Valency, co-directed by Carly Cioffi and Ava Roy.
517:
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and a knight, and the folly that results from their union. The playwright tells the tale of this doomed relationship in a theatrical
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in the role that won her a Tony Award for Best
Actress, (the same year she was awarded an Oscar for Best Actress in the film
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who is attracted to the world of mortal man. The subsequent marriage of people from different worlds is, of course, folly.
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the tragedy of man divorced from nature and stultified by his confinement within the strictly human sphere."
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In the great hall of the king's palace, it is the day that Hans is to present his bride Ondine at court. The
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snatched away as an infant. Auguste is upset because Ondine is out somewhere in the storm. As Auguste rages,
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who has been sent off on a quest by his betrothed. In the forest he meets and falls in love with Ondine, a
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Ondine's story. But no-one believes them, least of all the second fisherman. Ondine is accused of
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339:. The theme of the water nymph who seeks to gain a soul while in human form is a typical
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The play was adapted by Maurice Valency, opening on Broadway in 1954 in a production by
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Ondine, a water-sprite, falls in love with and marries a mortal, the knight-errant Hans
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669:, pg. xviii, Adapted by Maurice Valency, Hill and Wang, Inc., New York;
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Drama historian Philip George Hill called the 1954 Broadway production
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experience and transport audiences completely out of themselves."
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Ondine by Jean Giraudoux in a new translation by Dan O'Brien
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In one view the story of Ondine and Hans is a class drama.
793:"A Fearless, Massive 'Ondine' Enchants Despite Complexity"
394:, glint with romantic gems... exotic verbal nuggets..."
915:"Ondine: Production by the UMass Amherst Arts Council"
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was first performed on April 27, 1939 in Paris at the
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Giraudoux, Jean; Adapted by Maurice Valency (1958).
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that tells the story of Hans and Ondine. Hans is a
749:
Our Dramatic Heritage: Expressing the inexpressible
653:
reviewed by Julia Jonas; retrieved August 26, 2010.
854:
834:
905:, Broadwayworld.com; accessed September 13, 2021.
539:in the title role. The rest of the cast included
518:New York Drama Critics' Circle, Best Foreign Play
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799:, August 18, 1993; retrieved September 10, 2010.
738:, pp. 101-02, Oxford University Press, New York.
689:, pg. 65, University of Chicago Press, Chicago;
582:was first presented at the Rand Theater by the
812:, p. 342, Columbia University Press, New York.
725:, pg. 77, Pennsylvania State University Press.
712:, pg. 209, Barnes & Noble, Inc., New York.
642:
640:
121:is a play written in 1938 by French dramatist
929:, WePlayers.org; accessed September 13, 2021.
825:, pg. 182, Oxford University Press, New York.
390:"Giraudoux's lines, imaginatively adapted by
329:Giraudoux based his tale on the 1811 novella
1100:New York Drama Critics' Circle Award winners
986:French Drama of the Inter-War Years, 1918-39
710:French Drama of the Inter-War Years, 1918-39
471:, and later by Roger Gellert in 1967 and by
861:. New York: Oxford University Press. 1967.
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637:
974:, The Pennsylvania State University Press.
265:Act Three takes place in the courtyard of
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979:Jean Giraudoux, The Making of a Dramatist
823:Jean Giraudoux, The Making of a Dramatist
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736:Jean Giraudoux, The Making of a Dramatist
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952:, University of Chicago Press, Chicago,
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351:. Giraudoux explains that the theme of
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945:, Columbia University Press, New York.
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988:, Barnes & Noble, Inc., New York.
917:, umass.edu; accessed March 19, 2016.
857:Plays: Amphitryon. Intermezzo. Ondine
467:was first translated into English by
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33:Jan Żardecki and Joanna Jedlewska in
981:, Oxford University Press, New York.
967:, Oxford University Press, New York.
835:Jean-Louis Perrier (June 28, 2000).
369:Donald Inskip wrote there "is about
314:mingles with the rigor of classical
584:University of Massachusetts Amherst
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972:Jean Giraudoux; His Life and Works
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723:Jean Giraudoux, His Life and Works
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950:Giraudoux; Three Faces of Destiny
687:Giraudoux, Three Faces of Destiny
418:(Sylvie Drake in a 1993 review).
170:The Superintendent of the Theatre
751:, pg. 251, Fairleigh Dickinson;
412:(Julia Jonas in a 2004 review).
384:"a work of extraordinary beauty"
1105:Works based on Undine (novella)
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941:Grossvogel, David I. (1958),
808:Grossvogel, David I. (1958),
782:; retrieved August 20, 2010.
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578:Dan O'Brien's translation of
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903:Tony Award Winning Actresses
893:; retrieved August 20, 2010.
586:Theater Department in 2008.
457:. Costumes were designed by
337:Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué
133:Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué
125:, based on the 1811 novella
7:
1043:. New York: Hill and Wang.
343:, and is also found in the
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1005:Internet Broadway Database
943:20th Century French Drama
891:Internet Broadway Database
506:, and, in the title role,
984:Knowles, Dorothy (1968),
810:20th Century French Drama
708:Knowles, Dorothy (1968),
606:San Francisco, California
529:Royal Shakespeare Company
523:The London production of
516:). The play won the 1954
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1010:Giraudoux, Jean (1982).
977:Inskip, Donald, (1958),
970:LeSage, Laurent (1959),
963:Giraudoux, Jean (1963),
821:Inskip, Donald, (1958),
747:Hill, Philip G. (1995),
734:Inskip, Donald, (1958),
721:LeSage, Laurent (1959),
665:Giraudoux, Jean (1958),
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173:The Trainer of the Seals
1085:Plays by Jean Giraudoux
927:"Ondine At Sutro, 2015"
837:"Rostislav Doboujinsky"
773:Sam Shammas productions
335:by the German Romantic
131:by the German Romantic
948:Cohen, Robert (1968),
685:Cohen, Robert (1968),
437:with a cast including
366:beautiful love poem."
16:Play by Jean Giraudoux
1064:Analysis of the play
561:Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies
531:in 1961, directed by
527:was presented by the
459:Rostislav Doboujinsky
1040:Four Plays: Volume 1
1000:Ondine
431:Théâtre de l'Athénée
422:Original productions
402:, January 13, 1961)
65:Théâtre de l'Athénée
1110:Plays about fairies
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778:2011-07-15 at the
602:Sutro Heights Park
455:Alexandre Rignault
378:Critical reception
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1016:. Samuel French.
797:Los Angeles Times
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1070:(in French)
965:Three Plays
647:offoffonlin
598:Sutro Baths
565:Roy Dotrice
553:Clive Swift
549:Eric Porter
504:Lloyd Gough
492:Alan Hewitt
482:, starring
480:Alfred Lunt
473:Dan O'Brien
408:Henry James
304:water nymph
272:inquisition
197:First Judge
164:The Old One
105:Middle Ages
1090:1939 plays
1079:Categories
1056:2010-08-24
1029:2010-08-24
757:0838634214
667:Four Plays
612:References
592:presented
590:We Players
545:Diana Rigg
533:Peter Hall
484:Mel Ferrer
341:fairy tale
147:Characters
43:Written by
596:outside
475:in 2007.
191:A Servant
179:Angelique
841:Le Monde
776:Archived
569:Ian Holm
349:Melusine
347:myth of
300:medieval
188:The King
176:Violante
1003:at the
867:5691905
631:, or a
535:, with
316:tragedy
308:fantasy
281:sorcery
185:Bertram
155:Eugenie
152:Auguste
109:Germany
101:Setting
83:Subject
1066:Ondine
1047:
1020:
1013:Ondine
956:
865:
755:
693:
673:
651:Ondine
629:Ondine
594:Ondine
580:Ondine
525:Ondine
465:Ondine
427:Ondine
371:Ondine
353:Ondine
345:Celtic
332:Undine
296:Ondine
291:Themes
267:castle
220:naiads
182:Bertha
158:Ondine
128:Undine
118:Ondine
78:French
35:Ondine
22:Ondine
627:, an
625:Naiad
312:fable
298:is a
261:Act 3
237:Act 2
231:quest
213:Act 1
95:Drama
91:Genre
69:Paris
1045:ISBN
1018:ISBN
954:ISBN
863:OCLC
753:ISBN
691:ISBN
671:ISBN
600:and
571:and
453:and
386:.
161:Hans
56:1939
633:Nix
461:.
67:in
1081::
839:.
795:,
763:^
701:^
658:^
649:,
639:^
575:.
567:,
563:,
559:,
555:,
551:,
547:,
543:,
502:,
498:,
494:,
490:,
486:,
449:,
445:,
441:,
318:.
225:A
107:;
1059:.
1032:.
960:.
869:.
843:.
604:(
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