The Sisters and the Bandit King

by James Shirley

April 17–26, 2026

The Well Coffee House

2410 E Mishawaka Ave, South Bend

In the countryside of Parma, the daring Frapolo refuses to settle for life as a mere outlaw. With the support of his band of thieves, he declares himself the Bandit King. Emboldened by his self-styled majesty, Frapolo chooses the target for the bandits’ first major heist: the rich estate of a local gentlewoman, Paulina.

Paulina believes she’s destined for more than her comfortable but tedious life in the country, stifled by her scoldful uncle Antonio and her perfectly pious sister Angellina. To irk her uncle, Paulina puts on airs when noblemen visit, acting as if she were a princess. She embraces her pride when a fortune-teller divines that she shall marry royalty. Except… that fortune-teller? It’s Frapolo the Bandit King, there to steal her fortune—until he, too, finds he’s in for more than he bargained for.

From disguises, cons, and twists to betrayals and love quadrangles, The Sisters and the Bandit King is a rarely performed gem you won’t want to miss.

The play, originally titled just The Sisters, first performed in London in 1642. This is likely the first production in the Americas, and the first production anywhere in over a century.