French Neoclassical Theatre

French Neoclassical Theatre – Easy Notes (With Detail)

Renaissance (Rebirth)

  • “Renaissance” = French word meaning rebirth.

  • Time of new ideas in art, science, architecture, politics, and philosophy.

  • People returned to Greek and Roman ideas.

French Renaissance

  • France looked back to Greek and Roman classics for rules about theatre and literature.

  • Theatre grew slower in France than Italy, England, or Spain.

  • French culture was heavily influenced by Italy.

  • French Renaissance theatre reached its height in the 1600s (17th century).

Early French Drama

  • Confrérie de la Passion (1402) – a religious group that produced plays.

  • They owned the Hôtel de Bourgogne, one of the first permanent indoor theatres in Europe.

  • Because they had a monopoly, other groups had to pay to use the theatre.

French Theatre Growth

  • Civil wars slowed theatre development in the 1500s–1600s.

  • Cardinal Richelieu, prime minister to Louis XIII, brought stability.

  • He wanted France to be the cultural center of Europe.

  • He followed Italian theatre ideas and built the first proscenium arch theatre in France (Palais-Cardinal) in 1641.

  • He supported the forming of the French Academy.

The French Academy

  • Founded by 40 literary scholars (official charter: 1637).

  • Purpose: protect the French language and maintain neoclassical theatre rules.

Neoclassicism

Neoclassical theatre = based on ancient Greek & Roman rules.

The 5 Neoclassical Rules

1. Verisimilitude (“truth to life”)

  • Plays must feel realistic.

  • No ghosts, magic, or supernatural events.

  • No onstage violence or death.

  • No chorus or soliloquies.

  • Must follow the 3 unities:

    • Unity of Time – story in 24 hours

    • Unity of Place – one location

    • Unity of Action – one main plot

2. Decorum

  • Characters behave properly for their age, class, gender, and profession.

  • Theatre should teach moral lessons as well as entertain.

  • Good is rewarded; bad is punished.

3. Five-Act Structure

  • All plays must have 5 acts.

4. Purity of Genre

  • Comedy and tragedy cannot mix.

  • Tragedy = kings or nobles, ends in death.

  • Comedy = middle/lower class, ends happily.

5. Morality & Universality

  • Plays should teach something moral.

  • Themes should be universal (love, hate, family).

Major French Playwrights

Alexandre Hardy

  • First French playwright to live entirely from theatre.

  • Popular with audiences.

  • Didn’t strictly follow neoclassical rules.

Pierre Corneille

  • Linked to neoclassicism but didn’t follow all rules.

  • Famous play: The Cid.

  • The French Academy criticized The Cid for breaking rules.

Jean Racine

  • Master of tragedy.

  • Strict follower of neoclassical rules.

  • Famous play: Phèdre (based on Euripides).

Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin)

  • Master of neoclassical comedy.

  • Actor, director, playwright, and company head.

  • Supported by King Louis XIV.

  • Famous plays: Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, The Imaginary Invalid.

  • His comedy traits:

    • 5 acts

    • 3 unities

    • Characters with obsessions

    • Witty dialogue

    • Visual gags

    • Hidden “concealment” scenes

    • Often ended with a deus ex machina

Acting Companies

  • Comédie-Française: first national theatre in the world.

  • Actors shared profits (sharing plan).

Company roles:

  • Sociétaire – shareholder, helped run the company.

  • Doyen – oldest member; leader of troupe.

  • Pensionnaire – hired actor, not a member yet.

Famous performers:

  • Montdory – early famous actor.

  • Michel Baron – top tragic actor (Racine’s plays).

  • Armande Béjart – leading actress; married Molière.

French Theatres

  • Long, narrow theatres.

  • Had proscenium arch (“picture frame” stage).

  • Areas:

    • Parterre – standing area

    • Loges – side gallery boxes

    • Paradis – highest seats (“the heavens”)

Famous theatres:

  • Hôtel de Bourgogne

  • Théâtre du Marais (converted tennis court)

  • Palais Royal

  • Comédie-Française

Scenery & Stage Tech

  • Strongly influenced by Italian scenery.

  • Used perspective scenery: wings, shutters, borders.

  • Giacomo Torelli brought the chariot-and-pole system to France:

    • Allowed fast scene changes (mostly used in opera).

  • Neoclassical plays rarely changed sets (because of unity of place).

Costumes

  • Mostly modern clothing of the time.

  • Special costumes for unique characters.

Lighting

  • Indoor theatres used candles, lamps, chandeliers.