French Literature Reviews - 2026
B. Prost, Le Répertoire classique sur la scène contemporaine. Les jeux de l'écart
Theatre and Performance
Brigitte Prost, Le répertoire classique sur la scène contemporaine. Les jeux de l'écart
Rennes: Presses Universitaires de Rennes, coll. "Le Spectaculaire", 2010, 474 p.
- ISBN : 978-2-7535-1000-5
- 20 €
Publisher's overview:
This book examines the major aesthetic trends in the staging of plays by Corneille, Molière, and Racine in France since the 1960s. It explores how directors modify traditional interpretations of classical works and revitalize them by turning the stage into a space for commentary on the text or society, playing with theatrical conventions, deconstructing fiction, or rediscovering and reinventing seventeenth-century language.
Brigitte Prost is a Senior Lecturer at Rennes 2 – European University of Brittany.
Table of Contents:
Preface by Jean Rohou
- The Metamorphoses of the Work
- Staging as Textual Commentary
- Staging as Social Commentary
- Towards a Conscious Convention
- The Deconstruction of Fiction
- A Rediscovered or Reinvented Language
Downloads:
The staging of seventeenth-century French drama has long been a central concern for directors seeking to engage modern audiences with canonical texts. Works by playwrights such as Corneille, Moliere, and Racine occupy a foundational place in the French theatrical tradition, frequently inviting renewed artistic interpretation. Within this broader tradition, contemporary directors often navigate the tension between heritage and innovation by experimenting with performance conventions and visual language. The approach documented in Brigitte Prost's study reflects a wider ongoing dialogue between classical dramatic literature and modern theatrical practice on the French stage since the mid-twentieth century.
Readers interested in contemporary approaches to classical French theatre may find this overview relevant. Brigitte Prost examines major aesthetic trends in the staging of plays by Corneille, Moliere, and Racine in France since the 1960s. The volume explores how directors modify traditional interpretations and revitalize them by turning the stage into a space for commentary on the text or society, playing with theatrical conventions, deconstructing fiction, or rediscovering and reinventing seventeenth-century language.