French Theatre Research Paper

During the seventeenth century, France was the epicenter of change and transformation, and this was certainly the case in the development of French theatrical design. This was also a time of war, political upheaval, and many developments in the fields of science, literature, art, and theatre. Seventeenth century French theatre was defined by rules, including rules pertaining to society, structure, language, characteristics and behavior, and story and plot. All of these elements heavily influenced French theatrical design, as the monarchy placed many limitations on creativity in the theatre. France was not as culturally advanced as the rest of Europe due to isolation and civil war. There were very few outside influences during the first twenty

France soon had one of the most advanced theatre systems in all of Europe. Plays, if they were successful, were performed two to three times a week, and France was the first country to allow women on stage. There were many touring theatre companies in France, and the first permanent theatre company in France was established in 1629, with funding from Moliere himself and the French king, who was a great lover of theatre and would often take part in productions. The great defining aesthetic of French theatre at this time would become known as neoclassicism. Neoclassicism was developed during the ancient Roman and Greek times. French neoclassical theatre, like the Italian theatre that inspired it, strictly adhered to Aristotle’s principles of unity of time and space: one setting, one story, and action that was limited to a twenty-four hour period. French neoclassical plays followed a five act form, and often included special effects like thunder and lightning, wind, rain, and sound effects, as well as elaborate and decorative staging that reflected the classical Greek and Roman styles with French classical and neoclassical

I appreciate how French neoclassicism adheres to strict rules and decorum, which makes this type of theatre stand out from other types of European theatre, especially theatre from this period. The French set out to be different, and they succeeded. They admired the early cultures, but put their own spin on the classical stories. The French playwrights and designers set out to bring classic stories to a new audience, to make the characters, stories, and locations more palatable for the audience. Moliere was, without a doubt, the most gifted of the French neoclassical playwrights, and he respected and followed the rules that had been laid down. When creating a play for public consumption, Moliere did a very good job of showing the hypocrisy and principles of the Christian viewpoint of morality, which I