Theatrical comic interlude
Studentes is a theatrical comic interlude in five acts, written 1545 by Christoph Stummel (1525-1588), a 19-year-old student at Alma Mater Viadrina. The full title of the comedy was "Studentes, comœdia de vita studiosorum (The Students, a comedy about student life)". The play was printed in 1549 by Johann Eichorn, a printer and publisher in Frankfurt (Oder). With his humanistic comedy, Christoph Stummel created the first student comedy and, along the way, founded a genre that today is mainly served in cinemas.
Morality play.
The play is about the temptations of student life. Three fathers send their sons to the nearby university. While Philomates eagerly attends lectures and learns, the two others go to the pub and gamble away their money. Then Acrates is injured in a brawl, while Acolastus impregnates the innkeeper's daughter and has to marry her.
Dramatis personae.
All names originate from Ancient Greek and indicate the character of the person.
Reception.
An unknown Dutch author published his own interpretation under the pseudonym "Ignoto Peerdeklontius" (Dutch Lat. "Unknown horse dumpling" or "Anonymous horse apple"). Lachmann called it a plagiarism, since it largely corresponds to the original and also bears the almost identical title: "Studentes sive Comoedia de vita Studiosorum autore Ignoto Peerdeklontio. Alentopholi." (1647, 1662, 1775; probably in Amsterdam). The fictitious place of printing Alentopholis probably goes back to a printing error and would then stand for "Alethopolis" ("truth city"). Acrates is here called Isgeestus and the final scene has also been considerably changed.
Notes.
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