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''[[Clasius, of Het Proces om een Komedie-Lootje]]'' ("Clasius, or the process around a comic lottery ticket") is a satirical afterpiece in two acts, with music, by [[Charles Etienne Boniface]] (1787 – 1853). 

== The original text ==

A satire on people in Cape Town, including his arch rival [[Joseph Suasso de Lima]], in which the latter is equated to a learned baboon, it was originally announced (on 24 may 1834) as '''''[[De Gekwetste Reputatie, of Het Komedielootje]]''''' ("The wounded reputation, or the comedy lottery ticket"). 

The full title has also been given as  ''[[Clasius Stupidibus Bavianus, of Het Proces om een Komedielootje]]'' or ''[[Clasius, of Het Proces om een Komedielootjie]]'' by some authors - though the original play is usually referred to simply as '''''[[Clasius]]''''' in much of the literature.  

A somewhat illogical English translation (of the title?), ''[[The Blamed Reputation]]'' has also been found in some sources. 

The play was finally performed as  ''[[Clasius, of Het Proces om een Komedie-Lootje]]'' ("Clasius, or the process/events surrounding a comedy lottery ticket") on 19 July 1834. 

The text was not formally published till 19**, but was available in a number of manuscripts in Cape Town. The one used by [[F.C.L. Bosman]] for his study (owned by a Dr Dreyer) contains a caricature of De Lima on the inside cover, and the title page has: "Clasius, of Het Proces om een Komedie-Lootjie. Kluchtig en Geschiedkundig Treurspel" ("Clasius, or The Process of the Comedy-lottery ticket. [A] farcical and historical tragedy"). The publisher is given as [[Vlyt en Kunst]] 1834. [[F.C.L. Bosman]] (1928: pp. 323-330) provides quite a comprehensive discussion and description of the work (in Afrikaans).

==Translations and adaptations==

Revised by [[Charles Etienne Boniface|Boniface]] himself and renamed '''''[[Nog Net Zoo]]''''' ("still just the same").  ([[F.C.L. Bosman|Bosman]] again has this title in two versions: ''[[Nog Net Zoo]]'', ''[[Nog net zoo]]'' and ''[[Nognetzoo]]''), and performed under this title in 1834 and 1836.

The revised version had minor adjustments to the text and an additional scene ("''[[Castor en Pollux]]''", supposedly by an "[[amateur]]", but most probably Boniface himself), as an ''intermezzo[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermedio]''.

== Performance history in South Africa ==

1834: The play is first '''announced''' on 24 May by [[Vlyt en Kunst]] under the original title of ''[[De Gekwetste Reputatie, of Het Komedielootje]]'',  in the interval between performances of ''[[Robert Maxwell, of De Offerdood]]'' (Kotzebue) and ''[[De Wonderdoctor]]'' (Molière). 

1834: First performed under the new title of ''[[Clasius, of Het Proces om een Komedielootjie]]'' by [[Vlyt en Kunst]] on 19 July 1834, with ''[[De Vaandrig]]'' ("The ensign", by Schröder). The actors in the piece were [[A.J. Lind]], [[J. de Kock]],  [[P.A. Ley]], [[H. Ley]], [[J. Tyrholm]], [[E.G. de Roubaix]], [[P. Baard]] and [[J.M. Wolhuter]]. 

1834: Performed, now slightly adapted and under another new title as ''[[Nog Net Zoo]]'', on 13 September 1834 by [[Vlyt en Kunst]] in the [[African Theatre]], with a new scene (an "intermezzo" called "''[[Castor and Pollux]]''") added by the author (cited as "an amateur"). Played as an afterpiece to ''[[Valmont de Saint Priest, of De Schipbreukeling]]'' (De Witte van Haemstede).

1836: Performed as ''[[Nognetzoo]]'' in the [[African Theatre]] by  [[Vlyt en Kunst]] on 10 September, as afterpiece to ''[[Montoni, ou Le Chateau d'Udolphe|Montoni]]'' (Duval/Bruggemans),  accompanied by a one-act comic ballet called ''[[Het Fancy Bal!!!]]'', and  a "zeer prachtig Transparant" ("a very beautiful transparency") by [[Mr Poortemans|Den Heer Poortemans]]. Music provided by the musical group [[De Vriendschap]]. The evening was as a benefit (and revenge?) for the secretary [[J.J. de Kock]], who had lost a litigation case against [[Joseph Suasso de Lima]], the but of the satire in the play.

== Sources ==

[[F.C.L. Bosman]], 1928. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855''. Pretoria: [[J.H. de Bussy]]. [http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/bosm012dram01_01/]: pp. 124, 263-4, 320-337, 364, 367, 373, 495.

[[Elizabeth Conradie]]. 1934. ''Hollandse skrywers uit Suid-Afrika. Deel 1 (1652-1875) 'n Kultuur-historische studie''. Pretoria, [[J.H. de Bussy]] and Cape Town [[H.A.U.M.]]: pp. 252-254.[http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/conr002holl01_01/index.php]

Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]

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