Molière, the French Revolution, and the Theatrical Afterlife
Molière, the French Revolution, and the Theatrical Afterlife

Author: Mechele Leon

Publisher: University of Iowa Press

Published: 2009-10

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 1587298910

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From 1680 until the French Revolution, when legislation abolished restrictions on theatrical enterprise, a single theatre held sole proprietorship of Molière’s works. After 1791, his plays were performed in new theatres all over Paris by new actors, before audiences new to his works. Both his plays and his image took on new dimensions. In Molière, the French Revolution, and the Theatrical Afterlife, Mechele Leon convincingly demonstrates how revolutionaries challenged the ties that bound this preeminent seventeenth-century comic playwright to the Old Regime and provided him with a place of honor in the nation’s new cultural memory. Leon begins by analyzing the performance of Molière’s plays during the Revolution, showing how his privileged position as royal servant was disrupted by the practical conditions of the revolutionary theatre. Next she explores Molière’s relationship to Louis XIV, Tartuffe, and the social function of his comedy, using Rousseau’s famous critique of Molière as well as appropriations of George Dandin in revolutionary iconography to discuss how Moliérean laughter was retooled to serve republican interests. After examining the profusion of plays dealing with his life in the latter years of the Revolution, she looks at the exhumation of his remains and their reentombment as the tangible manifestation of his passage from Ancien Régime favorite to new national icon. The great Molière is appreciated by theatre artists and audiences worldwide, but for the French people it is no exaggeration to say that the Father of French Comedy is part of their national soul. By showing how he was represented, reborn, and reburied in the new France—how the revolutionaries asserted his relevance for their tumultuous time in ways that were audacious, irreverent, imaginative, and extreme—Leon clarifies the important role of theatrical figures in preserving and portraying a nation’s history.

Five Classic French Plays
Five Classic French Plays

Author: Wallace Fowlie

Publisher: Courier Corporation

Published: 2014-05-05

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 0486167879

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Treasury of theatrical masterpieces includes Corneille's The Cid, Racine's Phaedra, Molière’s The Intellectual Ladies, Marivaux's The Game of Love and Chance, and Beaumarchais' The Barber of Seville. Translations, introductions by noted scholar Wallace Fowlie.

The Heir Apparent
The Heir Apparent

Author: David Ives, adapted from "Le Légataire universel" by Jean-François Regnard

Publisher: Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

Published: 2015-05-15

Total Pages: 102

ISBN-13: 0822228084

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Paris, 1708. Eraste, a worthy though penniless young man, is in love with the fair Isabelle, but her forbidding mother, Madame Argante, will only let the two marry if Eraste can show he will inherit the estate of his rich but miserly Uncle Geronte. Unfortunately, old Geronte has also fallen for the fair Isabelle, and plans to marry her this very day and leave her everything in his will—separating the two young lovers forever. Eraste's wily servant Crispin jumps in, getting a couple of meddling relatives disinherited by impersonating them (one, a brash American, the other a French female country cousin)—only to have the old man kick off before his will is made! In a brilliant stroke, Crispin then impersonates the old man, dictating a will favorable to his master (and Crispin himself, of course)—only to find that rich Uncle Geronte isn't dead at all and is more than ever ready to marry Isabelle! The multiple strands of the plot are unraveled to great comic effect in the streaming rhyming couplets of French classical comedy, and everyone lives happily, and richly, ever after.

Reading Theatre
Reading Theatre

Author: Anne Ubersfeld

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 1999-01-01

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 9780802082404

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Ubersfeld show how formal analysis can enrich the work of theatre practioners and offers a reading of the symbolic structures of stage space and time as well as opening up mulitple possibilities for interpreting a play's line of action.

French Theatre in the Neo-classical Era, 1550-1789
French Theatre in the Neo-classical Era, 1550-1789

Author: William Driver Howarth

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1997-06-05

Total Pages: 764

ISBN-13: 9780521230131

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This 1997 book covers the period which saw the establishment in France of a centralized official theatre - not only the Comédie-Française (the first 'national' theatre), but an Italian theatre and a state opera; the often subversive independent theatres are also discussed. Nearly 1,000 documents deal with censorship and other aspects of external control, company management, the acting profession, dramatic theory and criticism, theatre architecture, settings and costumes, audience composition and behaviour. Over 120 pictorial documents - architectural drawings, technical engravings, frontispieces, portraits, etc. - provide a visual dimension where relevant. A full linking narrative and a copious bibliography help to make this an important reference work and a valuable research tool.

The Greatest French Classics Of All Time
The Greatest French Classics Of All Time

Author: Stendhal

Publisher: Good Press

Published: 2023-12-13

Total Pages: 22274

ISBN-13:

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The Greatest French Classics Of All Time serves as a literary voyage through the rich landscape of French literature, encapsulating the vibrancy and diversity of its canon. From the piercing introspection of Proust to the adventurous realms of Verne, this anthology curates an essential compendium of works that have shaped not only national but global thought and imagination. Each piece is a testament to the multifaceted nature of human experience, woven through a spectrum of genres that include tragedy, comedy, realism, and romance. The anthology stands out for its inclusion of seminal works that have sparked literary movements, challenged societal norms, and transcended the confines of their temporal settings to offer timeless reflections on life and society. The contributing authors, a constellation of literary luminaries such as Voltaire, Hugo, Sand, and Baudelaire, bring a wealth of perspectives to the collection. Their backgrounds, ranging from the philosophical musings of Rousseau to the stark realism of Zola, highlight a period of intense literary innovation and exploration in France that corresponded with tumultuous social and political change. Together, these authors have not only contributed to the shaping of modern French identity but have also left an indelible mark on world literature, allowing readers to trace the evolution of literary forms and themes across centuries. The Greatest French Classics Of All Time is an indispensable treasure trove for anyone keen to embark on a comprehensive exploration of French literary heritage. It offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the works of master storytellers whose narratives have perennially captivated the hearts and minds of readers around the globe. This anthology is not just a showcase of Frances literary genius; it is a gateway to a broader appreciation of the universal themes of human condition, love, conflict, and aspiration. Through its pages, readers are invited to participate in a continuous dialogue with the past, enriching their understanding of the evolving nature of literature and the enduring power of storytelling.