Dramaturgue Notes

In 1643 Moliere helped to manage Theatre Illustra. The companies shows were shown in various tennis courts, and rarely met any success.

Moliere was actually arrested once by the tradesman who supplied candles (for the lighting) and the company had to borrow money in order to release their leader from jail.

I guess that the process of turning a tennis court into a theatre was extremely expensive (and rather upsurd in my opinion), and there were usually no seats provided in the pit.

The troupe was under protection of the duc d'Orleans for a short period of time- but his favorites did not seem to last a very long time.

Thus,empty house soon forced the Theatre Illustre to leave Paris at the end of 1646. They then joined rankes with the rest and became a traveling company. Even though Moliere himself was set on playing among the rural towns.

It has been suggested that in Moliere's time the stage setting stood up in crude matters. For example: tapestries were hung round the stage, and entrances and exits were made by struggling through the heavy curtains, which often knocked off the hat of the comedian. The lights were candles stuck in tin sconces at the back and sides, but luxury sometimes went so far as to have a chandelier of four candles hanging from the roof. At intervals the candles were let down by a rope and pulley. A flute and a tambour, or two fiddlers supplied the music for the background. The highest prices were paid for seats in the dedans (cost of admission five pence)- for the privelege of standing in the pit two pence-halfpenny was the charge. The doors were opened at one o'clock, the curtain rose at two.

The nominal director of Theatre Illustre in the provinces was Du Fresne; where the most noted actors were Moliere, the Bejards,and Du Parc, other wise known as Gros Rene.

It was said that in 1653 or 1655, Moliere gave the first of his finnished peices: L'Etourdie at Lyons.

Also in 1653, Prince de Conti was residing in La Grange when in chance he met one of his old schoolfellows Moliere. This connection proved prosperous for Moliere, where his company was given a second chance to appear in the private theatre of LaGrange. They succeded and a pension was assigned to the company. Cosnac proposed to pay Moliere a thousand crowns of his own money to recompense him in case he was supplanted by Cormier.

In 1654, during the session of estates of Languedoc, Moliere and his company played at Montpellier. Her Moliere danced in a ballet.

Novemeber 1655 found Moliere at Pezenas, where the estates of L. were convened, and where local tradition points out the barber's chair where the poet used to sit and study character. (to think of it, they really are comfy chairs!)

On that note - I shall continue this detailed life of a most complicated man later... Continuation of Theatre Illustre:

It has been suggested that the theatre was more prosperous outside of Paris, since the streets were usually barricaded due to the war of the Fronde. Of all the places that Moliere and the troupe lead by Du Frense went there was Bordeaux, where it was said that Moliere performed horribly in a tragedy and was pelted on stage (even though this info. is debatable- I like it). Other places in which they performed were at Nantes in 1648, at Fontenay-la-Compte, and finally in the spring of 1649, in Agen, Toulouse. In January the next year the troupe played at Narbonne and between 1650-53 Lyons became home for the troupe. In 1653, it has been said that Moliere gave his first ever finnished comedy: L'Etourdi.
During that same year Prince de Conti settled down in La Grange and change gave him the opportunity to meet up with Moliere (his old schoolfellow). It is de Conti's first gentleman of his bed chamber the abbe Daniel de Cosnac, that recorded in his own memoirs the meetings between the two men as well as the troupe. It was Cosnac himself who made it possible for Moliere to have the chance of appearing in the private stage of La Grange. His success on that stage bought him a seat into the theatre and a pension was assigned to the company.
In 1654 Moliere and his company played at Montpellier, where Moliere himself danced in the ballet along side men of good ranking. His parts where of an allagorical whim and seems to show that he became more of a supporting actor on the stage amidst other companies. Following the year of 1655, Moliere and the troupe played part in many a stage, and in 1656 the longest of Moliere's autographs is a receipt dated and signed over for 6000 livres. This year was also notable for Moliere's second comedy, the Depit Amoureux. Unfortunately around this time Conti himself began to find his inner child and repent his own sin (sound like any of Moliere's characters?). Almost the first act of penitence was to dicard of Moliere's troupe in 1657 which than found out that the liberty of the estates was dried up forever. There is report that Conti's relationship with Moliere must have dried up way before this, like in 1655, because it wasn't long before the prince wrote treatise against the threate, and claimed that Moliere was an Atheist. After this rise and fall relationship with a prince Moliere began seeking out support in other regions of France. But after meeting up with other school mates in places like orange and again Lyons, Moliere finally made his way back to Paris. Finally the troupe appeared for the first time before Louis XIV on Oct. 24, 1658.

Information regarding the following information can be found at www.2020site.org

Heather, dramaturgue, dramaturge, dramaturg (we will keep the last, the shortest).

The Icognito Tasks of Dramaturge:

The rules of Dramaturgy have not been stated in the public venues of American theatre. Yes, it might be a paid profession in those theatres that provide the "real" art,but from where I stand at this very moment the ART itself is not very visable. I stand literally in the Northern Territories of North America: Fairbanks, Alaska to be specific. And theatre in these territories has never been a scarce art, as can be witnessed in the publication of " Backwoods Broadway", and its catalogue of the Goldrush Theatre. The theatre here has never seemed to cease that is a fact, but the question must be asked upon whether it has thrived. As a person that is presently apart of the Fairbanks Theatre's younger generation in the 21st century, I find myself and others believing that the theatre does not thrive here. Could this be caused by the times we live in? And if so shouldn't our art literally combust since the times that we are in seem to be on the verge of change? These questions and methods of artistic deconstructionism is what I believe involves the tasks of the dramaturge. Someone that not only workes for the director as a resource in finding scripts, but one who is able to understand them as well. This may be obvious to some, but I often find myself surrounded by actors that come to rely upon the A.D.D benefits of theatre instead of its value in meditation and analysis of the script before them. David Mamet has been one to preach this, the action of not only action itself but also the action in non-action/ of speaking the words as they have been written. Beyond all of this esoteric jargon, dramaturge needs to be a stated artform in America and it is not. Now is the time to recreate the art that was always made to be recreated.
Here are a list of Dramaturgical tasks that have been given to me, following them I will include my own take on the jobs and what I think needs to be included:
-the reading and analysis of new plays
-while in production, work mainly with the director but you may also be there for the actors, designers, and technician
-consult with the artistic director (if there even is one) on the development of artistic policy and repertoire
-supervise the public pronouncements of the theatre insofar as they reflect its repertoire and aesthetic principles
-preparation of text for performance such as:
-revising/editing the scripts
*adapting non-theatrical text into the script
-translation of the scripts from other languages
-advisor for playwrights writing and workshopping a new script
-liason between the playwright and director (if possible)
-official repretentative of audience to the theatre company
-writing program notes
-writing of mission statement about artistic goals
-dramatic editor
-distinction between production dramaturge and literary manager (but I think that you can be both)as well as between a production dramaturge and audience dramaturge- but as everything in Alaska, it is possible to be a one man band.
SO DO IT ALL!

(this list is available at http://dramaturge.net/dramaturgy/what/List.html

I believe that art is itself a natural life form. In other words it grows and discovers on its own accord. This is what I will be in the midst of while discovering "what it means to me a dramaturge" in the production of DJ- and hopefully the actors will have the patience to learn with me. No matter what theatre and the art form is real and alive- so let's keep it happening.

Created by Heather Rae Reichenberg 2003

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