Monte Cristo: A Play by Charles Fetcher, updated by James O'Neill (1883)

Finally! I have located a book of the Charles Fetcher/James O'Neill play, Monte Cristo, to satisfy my curiosity!

Some background: The Count of Monte Cristo, as a book, was an instant hit all over the world. Alexandre Dumas himself had adapted it for stage, but the results were not successful- it was too large and too long and required audiences to attend for 2 evenings. By 1868, Charles Fetcher had written a stage-play and starred in his own adaptation of Monte Cristo, which bombed. In 1870, Fetcher had further edited down the work. By 1883, James O'Neill had picked up the torch, playing Dantes onstage, and eventually buying up the rights to Fetcher's play. 

O'Neill modified Fetcher's script, and the play became a hit, with O'Neill playing Edmond Dantes over 6,000 times in a 40 (!!!) year period. This version is still being performed by different repertory companies, even to the current day. The play was also the basis for the 1913 movie, also starring James O'Neill. I have not seen that film, but it reportedly exists in only fair quality.

Let's say that the play is not a strict, or direct version of the book. Certain things cannot adequately be portrayed onstage (unlike in the movies) and a lot of the story needs to be carried by dialogue. The script changes a LOT of things starting in Act 2. It was very popular, it sold tickets, put bodies in seats and they kept coming back for more. Credit where credit is due- in an era before movies, James O'Neill worked HARD for the money and deserves tons of respect.

ACT I:

La Carconte (Caderousse married early!) and Noritier are among the crowd in Marseilles eagerly awaiting The Pharaon's landing. Danglars informs Morrel of the Captain's death and huffs that Dantes had made a stop at Elba. Noirtier, just hanging out, seems very interested in the course The Pharaon took.

The Fernand/Danglars conspiracy and the Edmond/Mercedes wedding plans are time and space-compressed considerably, so the wedding and Danglars' letter arriving at the Prosecutor of the King all happen at the same time.

Noirtier approaches Dantes and asks for the letter from Elba. Dantes left it in his ship cabin and goes to fetch it when he's arrested. His interview with Villefort goes as normal, but he is allowed to leave and get back to his wedding. Noirtier arrives in the office, to visit his younger half-brother, Villefort! He is wanted by the police for conspiracy against the king but Villefort allows him to change his clothing and appearance to shake off the law.

Villefort sends agents to La Reserve to arrest Dantes again. (⮜this seems confusingly out of order). The agent tells Dantes that he's already been condemned to Chateau D'if.

ACT II:

EIGHTEEN (!!!) years later, Morrel goes to see the Count de Morcerf, who is throwing a fancy ball. Mercedes greets him graciously and fills in her backstory. In a radical departure from Dumas, we find out: a) Mercedes is just about ready to marry Fernand... after 18 years! b) Her son Albert is Edmond's bio-son, conceived during an indiscretion which the Dantes/Mercedes wedding was supposed to legitimize. c) For years she searched for Edmond, visited prisons and saw magistrates d) Fernand has waited all this time for her, paid for her son's boarding school, and he's willing to adopt Albert (⮜Fernand, what a great guy!) e) People hadn't given up on Dantes and are still actively searching for him. Fernand had even sent for Villefort who claims that he will do everything in his power to find Dantes!🤣

While at Fernand's place, Villefort waits for a visit from his inspector for news, and it turns out to be Noirtier in disguise. Noirtier is still a fugitive and killed the inspector and stole his clothes and papers! Noirtier knows all the dirt and demands Dantes' release within a month, with all to meet at the Pont du Gard inn.

Fernand and Morrel re-enter the room, and Villefort lies to all of them, claiming that Dantes is dead. Mercedes almost faints, and declares that her wait for Edmond is over, and she will immediately marry Fernand. Meanwhile, Villefort plots- needing to dispose of Noirtier and Dantes- soon!

Scene shift to Chateau D'if, where Dantes and Abbe Faria are putting the finishing touches on their escape plan. They had spent the past 18 years excavating a tunnel, and now they are ready to go tonight! To pass time, Faria delivers an exposition-dump of all the things that happened in D'if and the Spada treasure that both of them will soon claim. Dantes believes that Mercedes is still waiting for him.🤣

At midnight, Dantes and Faria hear voices above. Villefort orders the guards to assassinate Dantes! Faria says he's dying (like, right now), and gives Dantes instructions on taking his place in his burial sack.

There must be some awfully clever staging to transition from the escape tunnel to the outside, where the sea, rocks and thunder are seen. The sack is thrown into the sea. Dantes emerges, clings to a rock and exults over his escape and the treasure soon-to-be in his hands and says the iconic words, "The world is MINE!" (⮜not in the original book, but appears in some comics and movies).

ACT III:

Next: we head to the Pont du Gard inn. Caderousse is worried about unpaid taxes on the inn. Abbe Busoni (Dantes) AND Albert de Morcerf (already an army officer headed to Algeria) arrive together. Albert had never met the Abbe before, but somehow feels a great love for him 🤣. The Abbe mentions that he has an extremely rich brother- the Count of Monte Cristo, and one day, Albert will meet him. Once Albert leaves, Busoni takes Caderousse aside and gives him a diamond "from Edmond Dantes".

Noirtier impersonates a jeweler after buying out all of Johannes' stock. As "Solomon Van Gripp", he buys the diamond and waits in his room upstairs for a visitor (expecting Villefort with Dantes in tow). Villefort appears at the inn and suggests Caderousse murder "Van Gripp" to double his wealth. But Caderousse here is a decent guy and refuses to be party to robbery and murder. Villefort and La Carconte go at it alone and blow it, badly. Caderousse saves Noirtier (!) and Busoni enters the room with the gendarmes. Villefort commits suicide rather than be taken alive. Busoni counts, "One".

ACT IV:

The Morcerfs (Fernand, Mercedes and Albert) host a party. Caderousse, Danglars and his daughter and Noirtier (!) attend. Caderousse has become the new Bertuccio in service to the Count, while Noirtier substitutes for the journalist, Beauchamp. Everybody is awaiting the famous Count of Monte Cristo. All of them gossip excitedly about the man, with some stories coming from Dumas, and some not.

This is TOO MUCH. While Dumas leisurely spooned out the components of the Count's revenge setup, the play dumps it on us all at once, with one Act combining mind-boggling amounts of bits and pieces of info from a DOZEN book chapters:

• 40- The Breakfast- introductions, the story that the Count saved Albert from rampaging Arabs in Africa.
• 41- The Presentation- Mercedes meets the Count and seems to recognize him.
• 46- Unlimited Credit- The Count presents Danglars with a Letter of Credit. They agree on 6 million francs.
• 53- Robert Le Diable- Everybody talks about the Count being seen at the Opera with a princess.
• 69- The Inquiry- The Count is said to be M. Zaccone.
• 71- Bread and Salt- The Count and Mercedes talk privately in the garden. 
• 77- Haydee- Haydee's story about the fall of Janina and the betrayal of her father Ali Pasha by "a French Officer".
• 78- We hear from Janina- Albert is angry with Beauchamp Noirtier about a newspaper article and challenges him to a duel.
  
• 84- Beauchamp- Beauchamp Noirtier tells Albert that the article is true, backed up by testimony of well-respected men in Janina.
• 85- The Journey- A different newspaper names Ali Pasha's betrayer as The Count de Morcerf.
• 88- The Insult- Albert challenges the Count to a duel.
• 89- The Night- Mercedes pleads for the life of her son.

This very long act ends with Mercedes dropping the bombshell on the Count: Albert is his son!!!

Act V:

On the dueling grounds, the Count and his friend (!) Noirtier talk about Albert. He intends to die by Albert's hand. The Count gives Caderousse an assignment- to go to Marseilles and give Morrel a red silk purse loaded with money. A replacement ship, The Pharaon, will sail into port soon. It's laden with treasure, to be distributed to Morrel and Albert and Mercedes.

Albert shows up, explains that Mercedes told him everything and begs the pardon of the Count. But Fernand is right behind, and challenges the Count to a duel. The Count drops hints at who he is but will NOT fight Fernand. Just as Fernand is ready to shoot, Mercedes stops him. Feeling betrayed, Fernand rushes to a nearby hut and commits suicide. "Two".

Now Danglars picks up a sword, looking for trouble. He duels the Count while Albert prays. Danglars misses a critical hit, giving the Count the opportunity to run him through. Danglars dies. "Three".

The play ends with Mercedes telling Albert that he is the Count's son.

[Curtain]

✅	1-Morrel family saved from ruin
❌	2-Franz and Albert's Rome Adventure
❌	3-Villefort's secret baby
❌	4-Caderousse murders jeweler
❌	-Maximilian and Valentine love story
❌	6-Cavalcanti impostors
❌	7-Botched burglary
❌	8-Valentine poisoned by evil stepmom
❌	9-Danglars embezzles money and flees
❌	10-Andrea's trial
❌	11-Danglars' fate
❌	12-The Count sails away with Haydee

ACT V: Scenes 2 and 3

The original 1868 Charles Fetcher play has additional 2 Acts at the end, so we see the cast return to Marseilles. Caderousse pushes Morrel to claim the red silk purse to save his business. Albert and Mercedes agree to sell all of the Morcerf assets to donate to poor prisoners. Poor... as in "miserable" or "penniless"?

It ends with Edmond as "The Spectre Captain" 🤣 sailing a new Pharaon ship into the harbor to cheers. But it still doesn't resolve his relationship with his son, or Mercedes, or what he's going to do with his life afterwards.

The Verdict: Well, this play resembles The Count of Monte Cristo, more so than certain recent 21st century movies. The building blocks are there, but assembled in a different order than expected. Some of these blocks are under-used or abandoned... for example, Fernand's trial and Haydee ripping him a new one would have been ideal to see in a play, but all we get is Albert informing the Count that his (step)father was booted from the peerage and disgraced. The 6 million in credit from Danglars goes nowhere- the Count doesn't even use it to cause financial ruin! Danglars accompanies the gentlemen to the dueling grounds, but we never understand what his beef with the Count was!

I find it hard to believe that Mercedes waited 18 years for Edmond, and Fernand held off on any other marriages and likewise waited 18 years for Mercedes. It doesn't jibe with the times: Mercedes as a single woman, no means of support, on the road begging while on her "find Edmond" quest for almost 20 years? Fernand forgoing the very normal desire for a man to marry early and start a family to ensure the continuation of his own bloodline? This, along with his early generosity to Mercedes AND paying for room, board and education for a boy that's not even his makes him look like the good guy!

By the time they actually marry, both Mercedes and Fernand are practically middle-aged!

Caderousse's face-turn was a complete surprise, as well as seeing Noirtier constantly inserting himself into scenes where he originally wasn't. I would guess that whatever his fate is here, it beats being paralyzed and mute.

The resolution of Fernand and Danglars fates seems awfully rushed. In the end, Edmond Dantes/The Count wins out because his enemies are dead but we never know what becomes of the him, or the other good guys like Haydee, Albert and Mercedes. Or peripheral players Noirtier and Caderousse. Does the Count still have a fortune? Does he get the girl? Any girl? Which girl? If he picks one, what becomes of the other? What does Albert think of his bio-dad? Are they all going to become one big happy family? What is in store for Noirtier, who, admittedly is a cop-killer? Scot-free?