The Beneficent Bear

The Beneficent Bear is one of several in the canon of Carlo Goldoni’s plays. It isn’t as well-known as his others and stylistically veers away from the pure commedia form Goldoni is known for, but the themes of misunderstandings and hard-fought young love are still very much present. The play concerns the family drama of the esteemed but temperamental Parisian Geronte-his orphaned nephew Dalancourt has foolishly squandered his family’s wealth, leaving him void of Geronte’s affection and no resources to care for Angelica, Dalancourt’s teenage sister. Dalancourt and Geronte each come up with their own solution: Dalancourt resolves to put Angelica in a convent while Geronte arranges for his (much) older friend Dorval to marry her. But Angelica is in love with the young Valerio. Plans are further snared when Angelica learns of the convent scheme and is told it’s the work of Dalancourt’s two-faced wife, Madame Dalancourt. With a story that zig-zags in typical commedia fashion and characters that are prone to their own version of histrionics, The Beneficent Bear is a charming play with plenty of comedic opportunities for a strong ensemble cast.