Emperor of the Moon

Aphra Behn's 1671 comedy crackles with the audacious energy of a writer who refused to be silenced. Behn, the first Englishwoman to earn her living from the pen, populates this farce with a philosopher so besotted with the moon that he rejects his daughter's earthly suitors as insufficiently celestial. Doctor Baliardo has convinced himself that a lunar kingdom awaits, and he will hand over his daughter Elaria and niece Bellemante only to suitors capable of colonizing the moon itself. What follows is a comic avalanche of disguised servants, stolen bedrooms, and lovers scheming to outwit a man whose head is quite literally in the clouds. The play sparkles with Behn's signature wit, blending satirical commentary on scientific obsession with the timeless comedy of young lovers battling prudish authority. It remains a vibrant showcase of one of literature's most trailblazing voices, proving that 350 years later, the sight of fools taking themselves too seriously never grows old.