French Literature Reviews - 2026
B. Louvat-Molozay, Le Théâtre, GF-Corpus.
Theatre and Performance
Le Théâtre
Introduction, selection of texts, commentaries, vade-mecum and bibliography by
Bénédicte Louvat-Molozay
Flammarion,
coll. "GF-Corpus"
2007.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Boundaries of theatre
A two-sided universe
The lexicon of theatre: seeing and doing
Three unities and a fourth wall
Character and actor
Theatricality and scenic evolution
Theatre is a world
Theatrical mimesis
Theatre and History
Dramatic genres
Tragic and comic polarities
Dramatic, meaning tragic
On the utility of dramatic performance
The Greek model
Catharsis
Theatre and the plague
ANTHOLOGY
I/ THEATRICALITY
I. CRAIG
The art of the theatre of the future
II. BARTHES
Theatricality of the theatre and theatricality outside the theatre
III. GUÉNOUN
The "becoming-theatre"
IV. CALDERÓN
Theatrum mundi
II/ MIMESIS AND THEATRICAL ILLUSION
V. HUGO
Drama as a concentric mirror
VI. ARISTOTLE
The action of representing actions
VII. MOLIÈRE
The embodied portrait of the century
VIII. D’AUBIGNAC
The front and back of the stage
IX. GENET
The intermittent figuration of the real
X. FLAUBERT
Theatre viewed through the novel: theatrical illusion and Bovarysmy
XI. MARMONTEL
Enjoying nature and art
XII. STENDHAL
The relativity of theatrical illusion
XIII. BRECHT
The alienation effect
III/ GENRES OF THEATRE
XIV. MAIRET
Tragedy and comedy, two symmetrical genres
XV. CORNEILLE
Tragedy and heroic comedy
XVI. DIDEROT
Limits and tendencies of the serious genre
XVII. BEAUMARCHAIS
Generic plurality
XVIII. SHAKESPEARE
Comic interpolation
XIX. KOLTÈS
The permanence of tragic schemas
XX. CRÉBILLON
Boundaries of dialogue
IV/ DRAMATIC LANGUAGE
XXI. D’AUBIGNAC
To speak is to act
XXII. RACINE
Exposition and double enunciation
XXIII. JARRY
Neologism and derealization
XXIV. [ANONYMOUS]
The mad language of farce
XXV. MARIVAUX
The language of the heart
V/ TEXT AND STAGE
XXVI. [ANONYMOUS] / MOLIÈRE
The school of the Italians
XXVII. BECKETT
Polyvalence of stage directions
XXVIII. JOUVET
The breathing of the text
XXIX. VITEZ
Staging the classics
XXX. NOVARINA
Dancing in the text
XXXI. ARTAUD
The Far Eastern paradigm
VI. THEATRE AND THE CITY
XXXII. SOPHOCLES
Tragedy and the rights of the city
XXXIII. MUSSET
Collective speech
XXXIV. CORNEILLE
Politics and tragedy
XXXV. SARTRE
A theatre of political situations
XXXVI. ROUSSEAU
The civic festival
VADE-MECUM
Actor
Catharsis
Chorus, chorality
Dramatic dialogue
Stage direction
Alienation effect
Drama
Epic/dramatic
Plot
Theatrical illusion
Dramatic character
Performance
Tableau
Theatricality
Unities
Verisimilitude
This volume in the GF-Corpus series includes an introduction, selection of texts, commentaries, vade-mecum and bibliography by Bénédicte Louvat-Molozay, published by Flammarion in 2007. The table of contents covers the boundaries of theatre, a two-sided universe, the lexicon of theatre, three unities and a fourth wall, character and actor, theatricality and scenic evolution, theatre as a world, theatrical mimesis, theatre and history, dramatic genres, tragic and comic polarities, dramatic meaning, the utility of dramatic performance, the Greek model, catharsis, and theatre and the plague. The anthology section incorporates works by Craig, Barthes, Guénoun, Calderón, Hugo, Aristotle, Molière, D’Aubignac, Genet, Flaubert, Marmontel, Stendhal, Brecht, Mairet, Corneille, Diderot, Beaumarchais, Shakespeare, Koltès, Crébillon, Racine, Jarry, Marivaux, Beckett, Jouvet, Vitez, Novarina, Artaud, Sophocles, Musset, Sartre, and Rousseau.
The book provides a vade-mecum detailing terms such as actor, catharsis, chorus, chorality, dramatic dialogue, stage direction, alienation effect, drama, epic/dramatic, plot, theatrical illusion, dramatic character, performance, tableau, theatricality, unities, and verisimilitude. Readers interested in French theatrical traditions and dramatic theory may find this structured compilation a helpful reference for exploring how dramatic forms have evolved and been interpreted over time.