Jean Anouilh

(1910-87)

French dramatist, born in Bordeaux of French and Basque parentage. He began his career as a copywriter and as a gag-man in films. His first play, L'Hermine (1931) was not a success; but his steady output soon earned him recognition as one of the leading dramatists of the contemporary theatre. He was influenced by the neoclassical fashion inspired by Giraudoux but his very personal approach to the reinterpetation of Greek myths was less poetic and more in tune with contemporary taste.

Stage Plays

Unless otherwise noted, the plays were first performed in Paris.

  1. Humulus le muet (Humulus the Mute). Pièce rosé. Written 1929. (With Jean Aurenche). Published 1958. Produced Cité Universitaitre, Sept. 18, 1948.
  2. Mandarine. Play. Written 1929. Produced Théâtre de I'Athénée, 1933.
  3. L'ermine (The Ermine). Pièce noire, 3 acts. Written 1929. Published 1934. Produced Théâtre de l'Oeuvre, Apr. 26, 1932.
  4. Attila le magnifique (Attila the Magnificent). Play. Written 1930.
  5. Jézebel (Jézebel). Pièce noire. Written 1932. Published 1946.
  6. Le bal des voleurs (Thieves' Carnival). Pièce rose, 4 acts. Written 1932. Published 1938. Produced Théâtre des Arts, Sept. 17, 1938.
  7. La sauvage (The Restless Heart). Piéce noire, 3 acts. Written 1934. Published 1938. Produced Théâtre des Mathurins, Jan. 10, 1938.
  8. Y avait un prisonnier (There Was a Prisoner). Play. Written 1934. Published 1935. Produced Théâtre des Ambassadeurs, Mar. 21, 1935.
  9. Le petit bonheur (The Small Happiness). Play. Written 1935.
  10. Le voyageur sans bagage (Traveller Without Luggage). Théâtre des Mathurins, Feb. 16, 1937.
  11. Le rendez-vous de Senlis (The Rendezvous at Senlis; also Dinner with the Family). Pièce rose. Written 1937. Published 1942. Produced Théâtre de l'Atelier Feb. 30, 1941.
  12. Leocadia (Time Remembered). Pièce rose, 2 acts. Written 1939. Published 1942. Produced Théâtre de la Michodière, Nov. 30, 1940.
  13. Eurydice (Legend of Lovers; also Point of Departure). Pièce noire. Written 1941. Published 1942. Produced Theatre de I'Atelier, Dec. 18, 1942.
  14. Antigone. Pièce noire; tragedy. Written 1942. Published 1946. Produced Théâtre de I'Atelier, Feb. 4, 1944.
  15. Oreste (Orestes). Fragment. Written 1942. Published 1945.
  16. Romeo et Jeannette (Romeo and Jeanette; also Fading Mansions). Pièce noire, 4 acts. Written 1945. Published 1946. Produced Theatre de I'Atelier, Dec. 3, 1946.
  17. Médée (Medea). Pièce noire, 1 act. Written 1946. Published 1946. Produced Théâtre de I'Atelier, Mar. 26, 1953.
  18. L'invitation au chateau (Ring Round the Moon). Pièce brillante, 4 acts. Written 1947. Published 1953. Produced Théâtre de l'Atelier, Nov. 4, 1947.
  19. Ardèle ou La marguerite (Ardèle also The Cry of the Peacock). Pièce grinçante. Written 1948. Published 1949. Produced Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Nov. 3, 1948.
  20. Episode de la vie d'un auteur (Episode in an Author's Life). Play, 1 act. Written 1948. Published 1959. Produced Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Nov. 3, 1948.
  21. Cecile, ou L'ecole des pères (Cecile, or The School for Fathers). Pièce brillante, 1 act. Written 1949. Published 1954. Produced Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Oct. 28, 1954.
  22. La répétition ou L'amour puni (The Rehearsal). Pièce brillante, 3 acts. Written 1950. Published 1950. Produced Théâtre Marigny, Oct. 25, 1950.
  23. Colombe (Mademoiselle Colombe). Pièce brillante, 2 acts. Written 1950. Published 1953. Produced Theatre de l'Atelier Feb. 11, 1951. Revived October 2000 in translation by Jeremy Sams
  24. La valse des toréadors (The Waltz of the Toreadors). Pièce grinçante. Written 1951. Published 1952. Produced Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Jan. 9, 1952.
  25. L'alouette (The Lark). Pièce costumée, 2 acts. Written 1953. Produced Théâtre Montpamasse-Gaston-Baty, Oct. 14, 1953.
  26. Ornifle, ou Le courant d'air (Ornifle, or The Draft). Pièce grinçante, 5 acts. Written 1955. Published 1956. Produced Comédie des Champs Elysées, Nov. 4, 1955.
  27. Pauvre Bitos, ou Le diner de têtes (Poor Bitos, or The Masked Dinner). Pièce grinçante. Written 1956. Published 1956. Produced Théâtre Montparnasse-Gaston-Baty, Oct. 11, 1956.
  28. L'hurluberlu, ou Le réactionnaire amoureux (The Fighting Cock). Play, 4 acts. Written 1958. Published 1959. Produced Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Feb. 5, 1959.
  29. Becket, ou L'honneur de Dieu (Becket, or The Honour of God). Pièce costumée. Written 1958. Published 1959. Produced Théâtre Montparnasse-Gaston-Baty, Oct. 1, 1959.
  30. La petite Molière (Little Molière). Play. Written 1959. Produced Bordeaux, Theatre de France, June 14, 1959.
  31. La foire d'empoigne (Catch as Catch Can). Pièce costumée, 1 act. Written 1960. Produced Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Jan. 11, 1962.
  32. La grotte (The Cavern). Play. Written 1961. Produced Theatre Montparnasse-Gaston-Baty, Oct. 5, 1961.
  33. L'orchestre (The Orchestra). Play, 1 act. Produced Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Jan. 11, 1962.
  34. Le boulanger, la boulangère et le petit mitron (The Baker, the Baker's Wife, and the Baker's Apprentice). Play. Published 1969. Produced Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Nov. 13, 1968.
  35. Cher Antoine (Dear Antoine). Play. Produced Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Oct. 1, 1969.
  36. Les paragons rouges (The Goldfish). Play. Produced Théâtre de l'Oeuvre, Jan. 21, 1970.
  37. Ne réveillez pas Madame (Don't Awaken Madame). Play, 2 acts. Produced Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Oct. 21, 1970.
  38. Tu étais si gentil quand tu étais petit (You Were So Nice When You Were Little). Play. Produced Theatre Antoine, Nov. 18, 1972.
  39. Le directeur de l'opéra (The Director of the Opera). Play. Produced Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Sept. 27, 1972.
  40. Monsieur Barnett. Produced Café-théâtre Le Fanal, Oct. 29, 1974.
  41. L'arrestation (The Arrest). Produced theatre de I'Athénée, Sept. 20, 1975.
  42. Chers oiseaux (Dear Little Birds). Produced Comédie des Champs Elysées, Dec. 31, 1976.
  43. Le scenario (The Scenario). Produced Theatre de l'Oeuvre, Sept. 29, 1976.
  44. La culotte (The Underpants). Produced Théâtre de I'Atelier, Sept. 19, 1978.
  45. Le nombril (The Navel). Produced Théâtre de l'Atelier, Sept. 21, 1981.

means the play has been translated and published. In these cases the title in English is the title as published

Criticism

  • J. Didier, A la rencontre de Jean Anouilh, Paris, 1946;
  • H. Gignoux, Jean Anouilh, Paris, 1946;
  • E. O. Marsh, Jean Anouilh: Poet of Pierrot and Pantaloon, London, 1953;
  • J. P. Lassalle, Jean Anouilh, ou La vaine révolte, Paris, 1956;
  • L. C. Pronko, The World of Jean Anouilh, Berkeley, Calif., 1961;
  • J. Harvey, Anouilh: A Study in Theatrics, New Haven, Conn., and London, 1964;
  • A. M. Della Fazia, Jean Anouilh, New York, 1969;
  • K. W. Kelly, Jean Anouilh: An Annotated Bibliography, Metuchen, N. J., 1973;
  • A. F. Rombout, La pureté dans le théâtre d'Anouilh, Amsterdam, 1975;
  • J. Vier, Le théâtre de Jean Anouilh, Paris, 1975.