ABOUT THE PLAY

The Miser
By Molière
Directed by Antoni Cimolino

House Program for The Miser

Grade Recommendation 8+

Content Advisory

This play explores mature themes. It contains coarse language and sexual innuendo.

Synopsis

The paranoid old skinflint Harper has two grown children: Eleanor, who is in love with Victor, her father's butler, and Charlie, who loves the hard-up Marianne. Both siblings know that if they persist with their romantic choices, they can kiss their inheritances goodbye. And their plights only get worse when the widowed Harper announces startling marital plans of his own. It'll take a miracle - or two, or three - for the desires of youth to have their way.

Curriculum Connections

• Global Competencies:
  • Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Learning to Learn/ Self-Awareness
• Grade 8
  • The Arts
  • Health and Physical Education
  • Language
• Grade 9-12
  • The Arts
  • Canadian and World Studies
  • English
  • Health and Physical Education
• Grades 11-12
  • Social Sciences and Humanities

Themes

• Comedy and Satire
• Family
• Freedom and Isolation
• Greed
• Love and Marriage
• Power and Manipulation
• Reputation

DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION QUESTIONS

PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS

• What do you feel is the function of satire today? Can you share an example of satire you find to be especially impactful?
• Is comedy an effective way to incite social change? Why or why not?
• What makes someone greedy? Is greed a natural human inclination? Why or why not?
• Is love more important than money? Explain your position
• Is marriage a financial decision? Why or why not?
• Are younger people typically more open-minded than older people? Explain your position

POST-SHOW QUESTIONS

• Which character did you admire most? Why?
• If The Miser were written today, do you think Molière would have chosen a different social issue to critique? Why or why not?
• What is the role of the servants in the play in exposing hypocrisy?
• Do you think Marianne would have made the same choice if Sir Arthur Edgerton hadn't shown up? Why or why not?
• What do you imagine Harper was like when he was young? Do you think he changed as he got older?
• Why do you think Harper is so resistant to change? What do you think will happen to him after the end of the play?

MINDS ON

Objective: In this exercise, students will apply their knowledge of satire by creating their own satirical scenes.

Materials:  Computer access, black/white board, writing utensils, paper, large open space in which to move around.

Directions

• Working either independently, in pairs or small groups, ask students to define "satire".
• Invite students to share their definitions, supplementing their knowledge with the dictionary definition of the word:
  • Satire - "the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues" 
• As a class, ask students to think of contemporary examples of satire along with the issues they expose or critique. Try to come up with at least 10. Discuss which examples are the most impactful and why.
• Then, ask students to list what they think are the most important social or political issues of our time.
• Working in small groups of three or four students, invite each group to choose one of the social or political issues.
• Give each group time to plan, develop and rehearse a short (two to three minute) satirical scene on their chosen issue. They should employ at least three of the following techniques:
  • Exaggeration - "overstatement of the truth"
  • Humour - "a funny or amusing quality"
  • Irony - "the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning, incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result"
  • Juxtaposition - "the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect"
  • Malapropism - "the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context""
  • Parody - "the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule"
  • Sarcasm - "satirical wit using bitter, caustic and often ironic language"
• Invite each group to perform their scene.

Debriefing Questions

• Which techniques did you find easiest to employ as artists?
• Which techniques did you find most impactful as audience members? Why do you think this is the case?
• Which techniques did you notice and enjoy in the play?

CONNECTION TO THE ARCHIVES

William Hutt as Harpagon in The Miser, 1998. Directed by Richard Monette. Designed by Mérédith Caron. Lighting design by Michael J. Whitfield. Photograph by Cylla von Tiedemann. Stratford Festival Archives, GPO_1998_006_0003

The Miser was first produced at the Stratford Festival more than 20 years ago. What differences exist between what audiences found funny back then and what audiences find funny today? What remains the same? 

The Stratford Festival's Archives maintains, conserves and protects records about the Festival and makes those materials available to people around the world. Their collection contains material ranging from 1952 right up to the present and includes administrative documents, production records, photographs, design artwork, scores, audio-visual recordings, promotional materials, costumes, props, set decorations and much more. These materials are collected and preserved with the aim of documenting the history of the Festival, preserving the page-to-stage process, and capturing the creative processes involved in numerous other activities that contribute to the Festival each season.  

In addition to visiting the Archives in person, you can explore a selection of their holdings via their online catalogue.

RESOURCES

Trailer - The Miser Coming Soon

House Program - The Miser

Study Guide PDF - The Miser

BBCRadio 3 Free Thinking Podcast: Adapting Molière

Four Centuries after Molière's birth: The Legacy of France's Most Successful Playwright 

Globe and Mail article: At 400, French Playwright Molière's Satirical Eye is as Sharp as ever in the age of the internet and ivermectin 

Booking Information: Tickets, Workshop, Chats and Tours

Student Matinées

You may book any available date, but selected student matinée performances for this show are at 2 p.m. on the following dates:

• Friday, September 9th
• Thursday, September 15th
• Wednesday, September 21st
• Thursday, September 29th
• Friday, October 14th
• Thursday, October 20th
• Tuesday, October 25th

Workshop, Chats and Tours

Pre or Post-Show Workshops, Chats and Tours (virtual, onsite or at your school/centre) can be booked by calling the Box Office at 1.800.567.1600.

TOOLS FOR TEACHERS SPONSORED BY

Tools for teachers include Prologues, Study Guides and Stratford Shorts.       

 PROUD SEASON PARTNERS 

PRODUCTION SUPPORT FOR THE MISER IS GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY SYLVIA D. CHROMINSKA, BY THE WILLIAM AND NORA HEASLIP FOUNDATION, BY DR. DESTA LEAVINE, BY THE FABIO MASCARIN FOUNDATION,  BY DR. ROBERT J. & ROBERTA SOKOL