NTID Theatre History: For Love of Three Oranges: April 27-30, 2017

Presented by NTID and College of Liberal Arts' Department of Performing Arts and Visual Culture, this production marked their first collaborative show in April 2017, directed by Melanie Blood.

An improv acting troupe arrived at the Panara Theatre to recount an old fairy tale, guided—more or less—by a narrator and a musician. King Silvio was in despair because his son, Tartaglia, suffered from terminal hypochondria and had fallen into a deep depression. Desperate to lift his spirits, the King summoned the clown Truffaldino to cheer him up. Meanwhile, the prince’s cousin, Princess Clarice, and the treacherous minister Leandro plotted Tartaglia’s death so Clarice could claim the throne. They sought help from the Witch Fata Morgana, who cursed the prince to die “for the love of three oranges.”

In Act Two, Tartaglia set out on a quest to find the three oranges—now his great obsession—despite his father’s objections, dragging Truffaldino along. The powerful wizard Celio, Fata Morgana’s rival, came to the prince’s aid. Eventually, Tartaglia reached the castle of the Witch Creonta, who kept the three oranges—actually three enchanted princesses—imprisoned. He and Truffaldino managed to break the spell, but failed to follow the instructions correctly, causing two of the princesses to be carried away. Tartaglia instantly fell in love with the remaining princess, Ninetta.

Meanwhile, Fata Morgana schemed to have her servant marry the prince and betray him, clearing the path for Clarice. In Act Three, she transformed Ninetta into a dove and replaced her with her servant, Smeraldina. Although the King insisted the prince honor his promise to marry Smeraldina, Fata Morgana’s triumph was short-lived. Celio appeared, challenged her to a magical duel, and defeated her. He restored Ninetta, punished the conspirators, and ensured a joyous ending for Tartaglia and Ninetta. Throughout the performance, the troupe stirred up plenty of comic chaos—questioning the plot, engaging with the audience, and creating humorous, unpredictable moments.