'And So Ad Infinitum' (The Life of the Insects) An Entomological Review, in Three Acts, a Prologue and an Epilogue

A lively, stage‑bound encyclopedia of insects unfolds in three acts and a prologue, using a wandering tramp and an eager lepidopterist to introduce the audience to the busy world of butterflies, beetles, ants and more. Their banter turns the ordinary act of catching a moth into a comic meditation on nature’s endless cycles, while the tramp’s broken‑to‑earth narration adds a down‑to‑earth flavor. The opening scene sets the tone—playful, slightly chaotic, and oddly philosophical—inviting listeners to see the small creatures as both subjects of study and characters in a larger drama.

Act I opens on a sun‑splashed hill where butterflies alight on flowers while the lepidopterist rushes to capture them, prompting a witty clash of scientific rigor versus simple wonder. Subsequent acts promise to follow the “creepers and crawlers” and the industrious ants, each populated by colorful figures such as a blind timekeeper, an inventive engineer, and a chorus of insects that speak in their own buzzing language. The production blends earnest natural history with absurd comedy, making the minutiae of insect life feel both instructional and dramatically alive.