The Illusion (play)

The Illusion is a play by Tony Kushner, adapted from Pierre Corneille's seventeenth-century comedy, "L'Illusion Comique". It follows a contrite father, Pridamant, seeking news of his prodigal son from the sorcerer Alcandre. The magician conjures three episodes from the young man's life. Inexplicably, each scene finds the boy in a slightly different world where names change and allegiances shift. Pridamant watches, but only as the strange tale reaches its conclusion does he learn the ultimate truth about his son.
"The Illusion" has a lighter mood than Kushner's most famous play, "Angels in America", but the two plays share a love of poetic dialogue and theatricality.
Setting.
The play takes place in the Seventeenth Century in the dark cave of the Magician Alcandre, near Remulac, a small town in the south of France.
Publication.
"The Illusion" is published by Broadway Play Publishing Inc. in the collection "Plays By Tony Kushner" as well as in an acting edition.
Further reading.
Wolfe, Graham. “Tony Kushner’s The Illusion and Comedy’s ‘Traversal of the Fantasy’.” "Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism" 26.1 (2011): 45–64.
Kushner, Tony. "Plays By Tony Kushner".
Citations.
Kushner, Tony (12/31/2003). "The Illusion". Broadway Play Publishing Inc. 