UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff NNeebbrraasskkaa -- LLiinnccoollnn DDiiggiittaallCCoommmmoonnss@@UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff NNeebbrraasskkaa -- LLiinnccoollnn Student Research and Creative Activity in Theatre and Film, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film Spring 5-2011 TThhee MMiissaanntthhrrooppee:: AAcccceeppttiinngg tthhee NNoottiioonnss ooff MMoolliieerree iinnttoo aa MMooddeerrnn SSoocciieettyy Cristina A. Skinner University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/theaterstudent Part of the Performance Studies Commons Skinner, Cristina A., "The Misanthrope: Accepting the Notions of Moliere into a Modern Society" (2011). Student Research and Creative Activity in Theatre and Film. 15. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/theaterstudent/15 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Theatre and Film, Johnny Carson School of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Research and Creative Activity in Theatre and Film by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. THE MISANTHROPE:   ACCEPTING THE NOTIONS OF MOLIÈRE INTO A MODERN SOCIETY     By   Cristina A. Skinner     A THESIS     Presented to the Faculty of   The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska   In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements   For the Degree of Master of Fine Arts     Major: Theatre   Under the Supervision of Virginia Smith   Lincoln, NE   May, 2011 THE MISANTHROPE: ACCEPTING THE NOTIONS OF MOLIÈRE INTO A MODERN SOCIETY Cristina A. Skinner, M.F.A. University of Nebraska, 2011 Adviser: Virginia Smith “The Misanthrope: Accepting the Notions of Molière for a Modern Society” demonstrates the conceptualization, rehearsal process, and critique of the direction for The Misanthrope, produced during the fall semester of 2010 for the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. The conceptualization process included historical research of France during the 1660s and 2000s, meetings with the designers, and analysis of the play through structure and characters. The process included design meetings and rehearsals. The effectiveness of the production was demonstrated through the responses of four reviewers and a Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival respondent. Additional material demonstrates the process and the realized production. i   Table of Contents Introduction........................................................................................................................page i Chapter 1: Historical Background....................................................................................page 1 Chapter 2: Analysis of the Play........................................................................................page 4 Chapter 3: Character Analysis........................................................................................page 29 Chapter 4: Concept.........................................................................................................page 41 Chapter 5: Process..........................................................................................................page 51 Chapter 6: Conclusion....................................................................................................page 94 Appendix A: Works Cited............................................................................................page 115 Appendix B: Action Chart............................................................................................page 117 Appendix C: Inspiration Images ..................................................................................page 120 Appendix D: Floor Plan...............................................................................................page 124 Appendix E: Costume Design......................................................................................page 125 Appendix F: Production Stills......................................................................................page 136 Appendix G: Press........................................................................................................page 141 i   Introduction “Comedy is a ritual in which society’s laughter corrects individual extravagance” – Richard Wilbur In the first year of undergraduate training at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I watched a modernized version of Tartuffe. In that production, Orgon witnessed his wife’s encounter with Tartuffe through a glass refrigerator door in his kitchen. The actor playing Orgon pressed his face against the glass and slid down with growing despair as his beloved Tartuffe dropped his pants and advanced on his wife. Through the use of physical comedy and modernization of the text, the director effectively transmitted Orgon’s horror to the audience. As a freshman, I realized for the first time the effectiveness of using a modern setting to tell a classic story. The image froze in my mind for almost 15 years. I remembered this moment when reading The Misanthrope. Upon researching the play, I discovered that the New York Theatre Workshop had modernized a translation of The Misanthrope and set it in an office. Dutch director Ivo van Hove deftly deconstructed the play, adeptly using media to point out how our society has become dependent on virtual relationships (NYTW.org). Modern cultural dependence of social networking, reality television, and electronic gadgets continues to lead Western society into a similar hypocrisy, where participants are encouraged to say what they think but not in person. Hypocrisy in every age forms the crux of the theme of The Misanthrope and how the characters grapple with it makes the play especially transcendent through the ages as a classic work of comedy. ii   In the advent of social networking, cell phones, and laptops, the world is both more connected and isolated. The use of Skype, cell phone texting and Facebook allows users to communicate while at great distances from each other. These tools allow for quickly passing information, sometimes without much forethought. The reliance on cell phone texting and social networking does not require vocal activity or physical interaction with other individuals and may isolate users further. Western society’s ability to communicate and express itself is rapidly changing. Students are now more prone to text a response than to call each other on the phone. Home telephones are becoming out-dated. It is time to address an increasing dependence on technology to communicate using Molière’s time honored play The Misanthrope in the political and social environment of 2010. The play, as translated and modified by Tony Harrison, serves to skewer the hypocrisies of today’s socially elite as much as Molière was able to unmask the hypocrisies of the aristocracy of his own time. The character of Alceste also demands that society look at communication and its effect on others. Using models from late 20th century and early 21st century television like The Office and Friends, the world of The Misanthrope will be constructed in the image that a college audience will recognize while pointing out how as time continues society remains the same. 1   Chapter 1: Historical Background The History of Molière As research for the play began, it appears Molière poured much of his personal life into his character Alceste. Molière, born Jean-Baptiste Poquin, was a legacy to his father’s attempt at nobility. His father purchased the title of Royal Upholsterer, and planned to pass the title to his eldest son, Jean-Baptiste, upon his death (Encyclopedia 382). Molière received his father’s title while still a young man and probably visited the Court while seeing to the royal furnishings (Encyclopedia 106). Witnessing the purchase of lowly noble titles and those working their way up the hierarchy would later affect Molière’s shaping of the character Alceste. Molière later relinquished the title and sought out a living as an actor. Though Alceste does not give up his title, he undauntedly tells the truth even to the point of alienation of his equals or betters. Molière first joined an ill-fated theatre company called Illustre Théâtre where he could further observe the Royal Court (Encyclopedia 106). His associations with various members of Court, including Louis XIV, increased his encounters with nobility, complicating his ability to oppose strongly the negligence evolving in the French court. When he eventually found moments to offer comment, opponents emerged defaming him. Despite attacks, Molière was able to maintain a stable social standing with the king and had not only rejected the nobility once, but was now working for them (Encyclopedia 382). 2   Why he wrote Misanthrope Molière’s speech impediment and need to for a rhythmic line delivery relegated him to comedic roles at the beginning of his career (Howarth 11). As he gained respectability, he changed the tone of his plays and his acting methods. His evolution as an actor began when he moved away from standard commedia dell’arte techniques when working with Tiberio Fiorilli, who played Scaramouche (Encyclopedia 419). Fiorilli taught Molière to perform without a mask, leading to the development of Molière’s famous moustache and goatee comically to highlight facial expressions (Encyclopedia 420). Molière suffered increasing hardships, marital discord, and illness after the death of his two sons (Encyclopedia 381). He attempted to write the tragedy of Dom Juan but instead worked it into the comedy The Misanthrope (Encyclopedia 322). He spent five years, the longest time of his career, writing The Misanthrope (Slater xxii). To bring about a real change in his acting and his persona, he removed his moustache to play Alceste (Slater xx). Considering his change of tone, care will need to be placed in working with the character of Alceste whose delicate balance calls attention to hypocrisy and while he feels tremendous love for Célimène. The choice of one translation over another Tony Harrison believes that each company and generation needs its own classics (Harrison xx). Once it is affixed to the page, it does not change with time and essentially is left behind (Harrison xxi). The theatre often presents classics to societies in a way that they understand in the moment they receive them. If I were to follow Mr. Harrison’s lead, we would have a new translation of the text that matched my concept of a working office. As a 3   witness to successful modernizations of older works, I would like to test Harrison’s belief by using an older text and applying a modern concept. The Wilbur translation presented the cleanest way to present a middle-management view of the world, where the characters are perhaps closer to Molière’s intent and fit the best into The Office TV show concept. A discovery made during the summer made it apparent that modernizing the Wilbur translation would not be feasible. I had worked on various scenes from the translation and was preparing to cut it when the news broke. Other translations and adaptations were suggested, read, discussed and reviewed. The Martin Crimp version had made the most drastic changes to the original text, making Célimène an American actress and offering a string of profanity at the start of the play. The style did not mirror my own. If word play and verbal sparring are an important element in Molière’s original, then finding another one with equal verbal wit was important. Several other translations including Timothy Mooney’s were offered to me. Mooney’s was choppy and hard to read aloud. I found the Harrison translation had intelligent dialogue and references to writing that gave me the verbal wit and a reason to place the story in an office. 4   Chapter 2: Analysis of the play There are a number of ways to analyze a play, and in this particular case the Francis Hodge and Michael McLain worksheet from their book Play Directing was requested by advisor Virginia Smith (55 – 56). An additional analysis from Backwards and Forwards by David Ball was included and can be found following the Hodge Analysis. Additionally, I used a technique called an action chart that I was introduced to at Henderson State University, which can be found in the appendix. Hodge Analysis I. Given Circumstances A. Environmental facts 1. Geographical location, including climate Though Molière wrote his play more than 300 years ago, our connection to it continues. Adapter Tony Harrison hoped that his reconstruction would stand the test of time and become a new classic for his generation. The adaptation was physically difficult to obtain in a recent printing and the 1973 adaptation is at times dated, with mentions of green velvet suits and Charles de Gaulle. Yet, society continues to struggle with the themes found in both the original and the adaptation. Harrison parallels Molière’s intent using a similar setting, political atmosphere, and socio-economic trends. The setting of the adaptation and the classic is Paris, France where temperatures are mostly mild in the fall. Paris in September averages around 70 degrees Fahrenheit with