The Emperor of the Moon

The Emperor of the Moon follows the love stories of Bellemante and Elaria the mischievous daughter and niece of the moonstruck Doctor Baliardo, an amateur moralist and astronomer. In order to get around the doctor’s rules, the girls convince him that their respective lovers are visitors from the moon.

Behn was arguably the first professional English woman playwright. Her clever script pairs contemporary comic dialogue with classical commedia dell’arte antics. The Emperor of the Moon is the last play produced before Behn’s death in 1689 and is one of her most famous and successful works, her humor is irresistible, and her intellect vividly colorful and refreshing.