the merchant of menace

The Only Old-World Melodrama

Welcome to the most Melodramatic fun you can have when the world was still flat. This Old-World Melodrama combines several genres of plays and is the ultimate "prequel" setting the Melodrama on the sunny shores of Capestrano Italy back to the year 1492 – A year when absolutely nothing of importance happened. This is the story about a less than honest travelling arms merchant, several jilted women, one brave heroine seeking the truth, several angry mobs, in a tale about lost love that is older than time.

This is a quest for lost love. With enough mayhem and villainy, confusion, misdirection, and plot twists to keep even the most ardent Melodrama lover happy. Discover the mystery, frivolity, and old-time melodramatic music you can only find in beautiful Italy 5 centuries ago. In Italy you might have called this a "Burletta" ... we just call it a Melodrama and family friendly fun.

The music is historic and be sure to view the highlights video to hear those tunes and even one pirate singalong song.

Characters include ... Giovanna Danza, Barbaro Seville, Tina Machismo, Isabella Minella, Carmella Candie, Fellonia Begonia, Professorie Aldobrandino Machismo, Tangello d-Angello and the Dread Pirate Al Dente. Plus, pirates and scalawags that make their appearance from time to time.

Can I download a read-only PDF perusal copy of your script to review? Sure thing ... glad to provide a read-only PDF of this script for you. Simply click the following link:
READ-ONLY PERUSAL SCRIPT DOWNLOAD LINK FOR THIS MELODRAMA 

CAST: 10F / 8M plus a piano player and several optional extras

WHAT YOU GET: HeroAndVillain Melodramas are turn-key productions and include downloadable links for a printable script as a PDF and editable MS Word doc (so you can customize this play), a full musical score, sample rehearsal tracks as MP3 files, resource graphics and photos, plus printable cue-card signs. Some Schools, Playhouses, and Theatres have used the rehearal tracks for performances when they could not find a piano player. The tracks are not made for that ... and live piano is always best ... but with our plays you call the shots.

Many of those performing melodramas are community theatres, schools, churches or non-profit organizations and so our prices are purposely kept very affordable for these groups. When you consider all the flexibility to change, modify, print, and even video our Melodramas ... we think that they are the best value by far. Buy one today.

But if you have a specific production or casting question before you click that buy now button ... go ahead and send the author a message and you will get an answer in the next day or two if the stars align.