Pippin, book by Roger O, Hirson ‘43
I have wanted to read this play for a long time but could only find the music; Roger Hirson wrote the book. Recently someone posted a PDF of the whole play, and I was happy to have a chance to read the part of the work that was Hirson’s creation. This alum had a long career writing for TV and movies, but he is best known for Pippin. This successful musical comedy garnered him a Tony nomination. I remember that Friends put on this show in the seventies, and Hirson was nice enough to come to the school to support the production.
Though set in the eighth century AD, the story focuses on the timeless challenge of defining an identity and not on attempting historical accuracy. A commedia del arte style troupe presents the play in a meta theater format. In the story they conjure, Pippen, the eldest son of Charlemagne, has returned from university and is struggling to find a path forward that suits him. Unlike his combative father, Pippin quickly discovers the nonsensical nature of war and conquest. (Author went to Friends Seminary. Hmm)
This work dramatizes the point that the young want so desperately to make their mark on the world and be special that they take many detours until they finally learn what to value. It further conjectures that this knowledge cannot be transmitted to the next generation. Since the eighth century and before, sons and daughters have had to repeat the cycle and find their own way.
