The Miser ~ Short Version

by Timothy Mooney

Comedy / Harpagon loves nothing so much as his money, not even his own children. So, even though both his son and daughter have fallen in love with young, vital partners, Harpagon attempts to engage them to a rich widow and widower in their declining years. Making matters worse, Harpagon wants to marry his son's lover himself, his only regret being she has very little money as a dowry. This rhymed-verse adaptation of Moliere's classic comedy explores the fine line between money and love and the consequences of valuing the former over the latter. A full-length version of this play is also available. ( 4 f, 10 m ~ 11-14 actors 3-8 f, 5-10 m)

Paperback

Published January 1, 2000

About the author

Timothy Mooney is the author of "Shakespeare's Histories; Ten Epic Plays at a Breakneck Pace!" which "cracks the code" on Shakespeare's most challenging plays, making them accessible to the average, as well as to sophisticated audiences everywhere. Mooney's acting textbook "Acting at the Speed of Life" is breathing life into stylistic performance at high schools and colleges, while his "The Big Book of Moliere Monologues," has given actors everywhere a new resource for comic classical auditions. Tim has given over a hundred thousand students their first introduction to Moliere through his one-man play, "Moliere Than Thou." He also presents one monologue from every Shakespeare play in his one-man show, "Lot o' Shakespeare," along with his collection of some of the most amazing speeches ever, in "The Greatest Speech of All Time". Mr. Mooney is the former founder and editor of "The Script Review" and was the Artistic Director of Chicago's Stage Two Theatre, where he produced nearly fifty plays in five years, which eventually included many new versions of the plays of Moliere, featuring Mooney's impish sense of rhyme. Timothy has now written seventeen iambic pentameter variations of the plays of Moliere (most published by Playscripts, Inc.), produced around the world. High School productions of Mr. Mooney's "The Misanthrope", "The Miser", "The Imaginary Invalid", and "Tartuffe" have gone on to state finals in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Virginia, North Carolina and Alabama, and Mooney's "The Learned Ladies" won "Best Play" in Connecticut's "Halo Awards," while his "Doctor in Spite of Himself", took third place in the Scottish Community Drama Association National Festival. Mr. Mooney continues to present his one-man shows (including "Criteria, a One-Man Comic Sci-Fi Thriller") across North America. This summer, Mr. Mooney is producing "Shakespeare's Histories; Ten Epic Plays at a Breakneck Pace!" at Fringe Festivals in Orlando, Minnesota and Kansas City.