The "Fan"

Written in 1763, "The Fan" is a frolicking romp by Carlo Goldoni, master of Commedia dell'Arte style farce. The gift of a simple lady's fan sparks one misunderstanding after another as two gentlemen pursue the same young woman. Layers of suspicion, paranoia, jealousy, and gossip create a physical comic frenzy with snappy dialogue and biting observations about shifting social contexts. Secret romance, elaborate plots and schemes, and mistaken intentions are all central in the play Goldoni described as "una gran commedia (a great play)."