French Drama of the Revolutionary Years (1990) examines the years following the Revolution which saw an explosion both in the number of theatres and in the number of dramatic representations written and performed. It describes this turbulent period of theatre history, placing it firmly within the context of French social and political life, and illustrating the discussion with examinations of contemporary texts. It focuses on the political and philosophical themes of the plays, and the light they throw on events of the time.
Part 1. The Paris Theatres in the Revolutionary Years 1. After Figaro: the Last Years of the Monarchy 2. From the Declaration of the Republic Part 2. Seven Plays 3. A School for Kings (M.-J. Chénier’s Charles IX ou la Saint-Barthélemy) 4. The Dangers of Libertinage (Sade’s Oxtiern, ou les malheurs du libertinage) 5. A Bachelor’s Life (Collin d’Harleville’s Le Vieux Célibataire) 6. Liberty and Licence (Laya’s L’Ami des lois) 7. A Sans-Culotte Verdict on Monarchy (Maréchal’s Le Jugement dernier des rois) 8. Towards a New Lightheartedness (Ducancel’s L’Intérieur des comités révolutionnaires and Pigault-Lebrun’s Les Rivaux d’eux-mêmes)
Biography
Graham E. Rodmell
