La comedia del fantasma (The Ghost comedy)

A greedy millionaire, a sly servant, a halfwit son in love and a couple of usury, or banking, professionals (which are more or less the same) plan to take a booty that goes from hand to hand, like false currency. Real estate schemes, slush fund keys, sales, economic interests and… ghosts, terrible ghosts… anything can happen… In whose pocket will the money turn up? Do ghosts exist? Are the people appearing on the accounting papers ghosts? Mostellaria or The Ghost comedy is a character play (in the purest Theophrastus style) consisting of embroiled intrigues through very dynamic and well-conceived characters. Plautus develops a simple storyline, but craftily and skilfully in his way of conceiving the dramatic structure. The great confusion reaches its apogee and is finally resolved when everyone, starting with the father, admits that the lie is hidden behind the façades of bravery or virtue that they show. Theophrastus gives rise to a play that, even though time may have made it seem old, allows us to see it from a perspective that is respectful and affectionate, but close to the times in which we live. This perspective will help us to understand Plautus, the Greek-Latin people, but above all allow us to laugh at ourselves to understand each other.