1st Edition

The Theatres of Moliere

By Gerry McCarthy, Gerry Mccarthy Copyright 2002
    256 Pages
    by Routledge

    256 Pages
    by Routledge

    Moliere's plays are the cornerstone of the French Classical dramatic repertoire. Adapted and exploited in his day by dramatists of the English Restoration, they are now again growing in popularity.
    In this detailed and fascinating volume, Gerry McCarthy examines the practice and method of possibly the greatest actor-dramatist. From the rough farces of Moliere's days on the road to the creation of the diverse and spectacular court entertainments on his return to Paris, McCarthy sheds new light on the dramatic intelligence and theatrical understanding of Moliere's writing for the actor.
    Drawing on Moliere's own brief discussions of performance and the contemporary evidence of his practice, this is a crucial addition to the debate on style and method in classical acting and on the staging of classical plays on the contemporary stage.

    Introduction PART 1 Le premier farceur de France 1 Street and stage 2 Education: Jean-Baptiste Poquelin at the Collège de Clermont 3 Farceurs: Old French Farce and commedia dell’arte 4 Country manners 5 L'École des femmes and the form of comedy PART 2 A celebratory theatre 6 The court dramatist 7 Stages 8 Scenes and costumes 9 Acting PART 3 A polite audience 10 The town playhouse at the Palais-Royal 11 The polite audience 12 Behaviour reviewed: Le Misanthrope at the Palais-Royal

    Biography

    Gerry McCarthy is Professor of Theatre Studies at the University of Ulster. He has taught and directed in Canada, France and the UK, and his previous publication include Edward Albee (1987)