The Open Couple
| The Open Couple | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Dario Fo |
| Original language | Italian |
| Genre | Comedy (drama) |
The Open Couple (Italian title: Coppia aperta, quasi spalancata)[1] is a play by Dario Fo. As with some of Fo's other plays, it is a romantic play which was written with his wife Franca Rame. It was written in 1983.[2]
The Italian censors restricted it to audiences over the age of 18 when Rame included as a prologue her monologue The Rape (inspired by her own rape).[3]
Plot summary
In this farce about sexual politics in marriage, a man persuades his suicidal wife that an open marriage is politically correct and embarks on dalliances with younger women, to her dismay and fury. After deciding to be on her own, the tables are turned when she confesses to a new man, Nobel prize nominated professor and inspired singer-songwriter; it is the husband who becomes suicidal.[4]
Cast
- Dario Fo (Husband)
- Franca Rame (Wife)
Further reading
- Mitchell, Tony (1999), Dario Fo: People's Court Jester (Updated and Expanded), London: Methuen, ISBN 0-413-73320-3.
References
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Works by Dario Fo
- Corpse for Sale (1958)
- The Virtuous Burglar (1958)
- Archangels Don't Play Pinball (1959)
- He Had Two Pistols with White and Black Eyes (1960)
- He Who Steals a Foot is Lucky in Love (1961)
- Isabella, Three Sailing Ships and a Con Man (1963)
- Throw the Lady Out (1967)
- Grand Pantomime with Flags and Small and Middle-sized Puppets (1968)
- Mistero Buffo (1969)
- The Worker Knows 300 Words, the Boss Knows 1000, That's Why He's the Boss (1969)
- Chain Me Up and I'll Still Smash Everything (1969)
- I'd Rather Die Tonight If I Had To Think It Had All Been In Vain (1970)
- Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1970)
- United We Stand! All Together Now! Oops, Isn't That the Boss? (1971)
- Fedayn (1972)
- Mamma Togni (1973)
- The People's War in Chile (1973)
- Porta and Belli Against the Authorities (1974)
- Can't Pay? Won't Pay! (1974)
- Fanfani Kidnapped (1975)
- Mother's Marijuana is the Best (1976)
- Let's Talk About Women (1977)
- All House, Bed and Church (1977)
- The Tale of a Tiger (1978)
- Trumpets and Raspberries (1981)
- The Open Couple (1983)
- Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman (1984)
- The Tricks of the Trade (TV, 1985)
- Hellequin, Harlekin, Arlecchino (1985)
- Abducting Francesca (1986)
- The First Miracle of the Infant Jesus (TV, 1987)
- Letter from China (1989)
- The Story of Qu (1989)
- The Wanted Man (1989)
- The Pope and the Witch (1989)
- Hush! We're Falling! (1990)
- Johan Padan and the Discovery of the Americas (1992)
- Seventh Commandment: Steal a Bit Less No. 2 (1992)
- Mummy! The Sans-culottes! (1993)
- Sex? Thanks, Don't Mind If I Do! (1994)
- Leonardo: The Flight, the Count and the Amours (1995)
- The Devil with Boobs (1997)
- The Two-Headed Anomaly (2003)
- "An Arab Woman Speaks"—monologue from Fedayn
