Le Précepteur dans l'Embarras

Le Précepteur dans l'Embarras ("the embarrassed teacher") is a French one act comédie-vaudeville by usually attributed to Mélesville (nom de plume of Anne-Honore-Joseph Duveyrier, 1787-1865 )[1].

The original text

The play was apparently based on an Italian original, but the Italian text is unknown. The French play was first produced in Paris in 1823, in a number of versions, by a number of authors apparently, including:

Le Précepteur dans l'Embarras, "comédie-vaudeville en 1 acte, imitée de l'italien, par M. Mélesville". Produced at Le Théàtre Variétés, on 14 July 1823, and published in 1824;

Le Précepteur dans l'Embarras, attributed to Monsieurs Imbert et Varner and presented at the Théàtre du Gymnase, also 14 July 1823;

La Pension de Retraite, ou Le Précepteur dans l'Embarras: "comédie-vaudeville en un acte" by Pierre-Frédéric-Adolphe Carmouche (with Frédéric de Courcy, in some sources) and performed January 1, 1823 by Mme Huet.

It would appear that Mélesville, Pierre-Frédéric-Adolphe Carmouche and Frédéric de Courcy often collaborated, hence these productions were most probably the same (collaborative) play, done by varying companies to increase profitability. The English version credits Mélesville.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into English by John Poole as The Scape-goat and first performed at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden, London, 25 November 1825. Published in London by Sherwood, Gilbert, and Piper in 1826. Also found as The Scape Goat or The Scapegoat.