Jacopo Tarradasch (2209–2255 IC), was a dramatist, renowned even today across the Old World.[1a]
Two centuries after his death, Tarradasch still casts a long shadow. Thanks to him, theatre is an artform respectable people can enjoy. There are more theatres in Altdorf than any other city in the Old World, largely because Tarradasch lived there. Before Tarradasch, most theatrical performances were cheap, ribald entertainment or edifying religious pageants. When Tarradasch was young, he fell in with a troupe of travelling players touring the inn yards of the southern Empire. After years of honing his talent as an actor and director, he returned to Altdorf and set about writing plays that demonstrated the true potential of drama.[1a]
Tarradasch's reputation grew. His work is deep and enthralling. Under his direction, actors found more subtlety and range in their parts. Audiences loved it. When Emperor Eberhardt the Just saw a performance of Barbenoire, he was so moved that he awarded Tarradasch a stipend to buy the Altdorf Theatre and establish his own company of actors, the Imperial Players.[1a]
Tarradasch's Plays[]
Tarradasch's plays remain popular. They wrestle with the fundamental nature of Humanity, from the agonies of obsession in The Loves of Ottokar and Myrmidia to the spiritual loss of freedom in The Desolate Prisoner of Karak Kadrin. Tarradasch is a source of pride to Altdorfers of all classes. His grave in Zwillingsgrab attracts actors and writers who hope his presence will inspire their own work. Rumours say that a frustrated writer is using necromancy to compel his spirit to collaborate.[1a]
Time hasn't been entirely kind to Tarradasch's canon. Many people can't be bothered to sit through his plays, and the jokes have aged badly. It requires skilled acting to convince the audience that his puns are as hilarious as acolytes claim.[1a]