A Sense of Direction: The Author in Contemporary French Theater

Abstract

The distinctive mark of France' s "nouveau theatre" or avant-garde of the fifties is, at first glance, the renown of its authors, a group whose lifeline to the properly literary as a written construct far outweighed any direct experience with the live stage. Although an occasional author would turn to full scenic involvement (Jean Anouilh continues to codirect his plays) or enter into limited association with like-minded directors (both Beckett and Genet did), the serious dramatic author who viewed lack of scenic experience as a shortcoming or liability was rare. Even proponents of theater as a global activity, such as author/actor/director Romain Weingarten or Roland Dubillard, identified primarily with their roles as text engenderers, using acting and directing as a means to ensure proper stagings of their plays.