Music: Ottorino Respighi's Antiche danze ed arie

Photo by MIRA

Length: Approx. 30 min.

Summary: Three Virgins and a Devil was first performed in the revue "Why Not Tonight?" at the Palace Theatre, London on April 24, 1934. With a libretto by Ramon Reed based on a story of Boccaccio the ballet is the comic tale of three young virgins on their way to join a nunnery when they are confronted by a devil who uses each of their weakness to entice them into Hell, the mouth of which is a cave, stage right. Her passion for jewels does in the Greedy Virgin, The Devil uses an attractive young man to lure the Lustful Virgin. Finally the Priggish Virgin, pious and determined decides she will reform the Devil and take him with her to the convent.

In the American Ballet Theatre Premiere of the ballet Agnes danced the part of the Priggish Virgin. "I was not the granddaughter of a reformer for nothing," she remarked. The Devil leads her on a merry chase, and in her fervor to convert him she chases him straight into the cave. His mission is complete.

Original Cast: Greta Nissen(First Novice), Margaret Braithwaite(Second Novice), Elizabeth Schooling (Third Novice), Stanislas Idzikowski (Devil), Walter Crisham (Dandy)