Effeitos do Hypnotismo

A lively one‑act comedy set in a bustling Lisbon household, the play opens on a night when the house‑keeper Gertrudes and the bumbling servant Simplicio argue over misplaced olives and a never‑ending trombone tune. Their banter introduces a colorful cast: the domineering master Venceslau, his melancholy daughter Elvira, the earnest student Felisberto, and the clever pharmacy assistant Anacleto. The scene is painted with witty wordplay and a touch of 19th‑century domestic bustle, instantly drawing listeners into the cramped yet humorously chaotic drawing‑room.

The central conflict springs from Venceslau’s new obsession with hypnotism, which he insists will solve his daughter’s unwanted engagement to Felisberto. Gertrudes, ever the schemer, hatches a plan to outwit the pretentious tutor and free Elvira from a marriage she dreads. As the characters tumble through misunderstandings and absurd strategies, the audience is treated to a sparkling satire of authority, romance, and the era’s fascination with the mysterious art of hypnosis.