James Fisher’s THE BOGUS BRIDE

“Dottore: (Noticing Pantalone crawling) Pantalone! Antiquas non est cavortium!

Pantalone: Huh?

Dottore: The opening line of my new book, Pantalone… the one I’m translating from ancient Greek to ancient Latin… it means ‘a man in his declining years shouldn’t cavort.’”

Characters in James Fisher’s The Bogus Bride, a two-act farce based on the characters and traditions of the Italian commedia dell’arte

Student actors in commedia dell’arte roles at Samford University Theatre.

Probably my favorite kind of humor is spun from the scenarios of commedia dell’arte and it physical comedy, so I truly enjoyed producing my friend James Fisher’s TheBogus Bride in the spring of 1992.

This exchange between Dottore and Pantalone somehow reminds me of a conversation between Marianne and Elinor in Sense and Sensibility. At one point in Chapter 8, Marianne confesses that Colonel Brandon is not quite to the point of expiring, but insists a man of his age (35) should hardly be thinking of marrying a young girl. Elinor agrees that maybe an older lady of 27 would be suitable.

Marianne supposes that such a match might work out, for after all, a lady that old is far past her prime and would only be marrying for convenience, so that the couple could provide some company for each other “in their declining years.” What would these characters think of marriage in the twenty-first century, with so many women marrying for the first time past the age of 30? I have a friend who married for the first time at 69.

I remember giving my professor and mentor John Finlay, who shared a birthday with me, an “Over the Hill” card for his 30th birthday. Being over twice that age now, I must be over at least the seven hills of Rome. But as someone who still feels young, I do protest that a man — or woman — in the declining years shouldn’t cavort. 

First of all, what are the declining years? A dictionary proclaims that declining years are, “a person’s old age, especially when regarded as the time when health, vigor, and mental faculties deteriorate.” American women’s life expectancy right now is 82.65, and my personal span has been forecast as 100 years.

Just to keep myself active and open, I walk, ride a stationary bike, and perform Yoga every day. I read, teach, go to plays and movies, hear lectures, work in the development field, and take all sorts of classes. I have a large web of friends, socialize most weeks, and have a lifelong companion. I meditate and read spiritual works, and work with the consciousness training. None of this assures anything, but I really don’t feel over the hill or past my prime.

And now to the word “cavort.” What does it mean? Again, a dictionary definition is “To bound or prance about in a sprightly manner; caper; to have lively or boisterous fun; to romp.” Keeping up with twin three-year-olds is quite enough to qualify me for cavorting every time I am with them. But I romp about in a sprightly manner most of the time even when they are not here.

Oh, wait! The quote says a “man” in his declining years shouldn’t cavort, and nothing about a woman. Whew! I’m safe.