PRINCESS OF CHINA
Jethro Bithell translation
A CHINOISERIE IN THREE ACTS
BY KARL VOLLMOELLER
AUTHORIZED ENGLISH VERSION, BY JETHRO BITHELL
LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN
ADELPHI TERRACE
First Edition, January, 1913
(All rights reserved.)
THE FIRST ACT
SCENE I, SCENE II, SCENE III, SCENE IV, SCENE V, SCENE VI, SCENE VII, SCENE VIII, SCENE IX, SCENE X, SCENE XI
THE SECOND ACT
SCENE I, SCENE II, SCENE III, SCENE IV, SCENE V, SCENE VI., SCENE VII, SCENE VIII, SCENE IX, SCENE X, SCENE XI, SCENE XII, SCENE XIII, SCENE XIV
THE THIRD ACT
SCENE I, SCENE II
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ
TurandotPrincess of China
AltoumEmperor of China, her father
AdelmaPrincess of Tartary, favourite slave of Turandot
ZelimaAnother slave of Turandot
SkirinaZelima's mother
Barak(Under the name of Hassan), Skirina's husband; formerly Major-domo of
CalafPrince of Astrakhan
IshmaelMajor-domo of the beheaded Prince of Samarkand
PantalonePrime Minister of the Emperor Altoum
TartagliaLord High Chancellor of China
BrigellaCaptain of the Imperial pages
TruffaldinoChief Eunuch of Turandot's harem
Prince of Samarkand(Silent)
Eight Doctors. Female Slaves and Eunuchs of the harem. A Headsman. Soldiers of the Palace Guard.
SCENE: Pekin.—All the acting characters wear Chinese costume, except Adelma and Calaf, who are in Tartar dress.
Cast of the play as produced at the St. James's Theatre, London, on January 18, 1913, under the management of Sir George Alexander.
TurandotEvelyn D'alroy
AltoumJ. H. Barnes
AdelmaHilda Moore
ZelimaMaire O'neill
SkirinaMargaret Yarde
BarakAlfred Harris
CalafGodfrey Tearle
IshmaelJames Berry
PantaloneEdward Sass
TartagliaE. Vivian Reynolds
BrigellaFred Lewis
TruffadinoNorman Forbes
Prince of Samarkand Austin Fehrman
The action takes place outside the gates of Pekin, and inside the Emperor's Palace.
to my friend that great artist FERRUCCIO BUSONI
NOTE
The very affecting history of the cruel Princess Turandot and the handsome Prince Calaf may be read in those Persian tales which are known by the name of The Thousand and One Nights.
Twice already has the story gone over the boards: in 1762 in Venice as "Turandotte," one of the fiabe of Count Carlo Gozzi; in 1804 in Weimar, as Friedrich Schiller's "Turandot." Both versions lived their passing hour, and died to the stage.
The present dramatisation of the ancient fable—a modest attempt to cast good metal anew—closely follows the Italian of the sardonic nobleman whose bones have been mouldering by the blue lagoons for over a hundred years.
Karl Vollmoeller.