First Performance and Publication

Otway’s The Cheats of Scapin, a three-act farce, was performed by the Duke of York’s Theatre at Dorset Garden in December, 1676. The play was then published with Otway’s last heroic tragedy, Titus and Berenice, in February, 1677. The plays were acted together and printed in one volume, dedicated to the earl of Rochester. Both were adaptations of popular French plays staged within the past half-decade. The first was a condensed version of Racine’s tragedy, Bérénice (1670), which Otway juxtaposed with a farce based on Molière’s Les Fourberies de Scapin 1671. The pairing on stage proved successful, in large part because of the versatile and talented actors in the Duke of York’s company. Mary Lee played the role of the heroine, Berenice, in the

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Citation: Brady, Jennifer. "The Cheats of Scapin". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 December 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=34226, accessed 22 November 2024.]