Directing Molière: Presenting the French Master to American Audiences
Abstract
This thesis examines the presentation of the plays of Molière by American directors
for American audiences. How have his works been produced and reimagined by directors
from his own country? What are the qualities of successful American productions of a
French masterpiece? What is the best way to present these works to American audiences?
How have specific American directors put their stamp on Molière? What can Molière teach
American audiences 350 years after his death?
Chapter one presents a control group in an overview of the works of Molière
conceived by French directors for French audiences. Using specific productions directed by
Jacques Copeau, Louis Jouvet, Robert Planchon, Antoine Vitez and Ariane Mnouchkine, the
importance each director places on Molière and the necessity to bring his plays to life on
stage will be traced throughout the twentieth century. Chapter two shifts the focus to three
American productions of The Misanthrope. Examining the 1989 production directed by
Robert Falls and two 1992 productions in Baltimore and Philadelphia, the techniques of each
director are explored to illustrate a path to their creations using three different translations.
Chapter three discusses director Kenneth Albers and how early productions of Molière
influenced his professional career, through an examination of his work directing The
Imaginary Invalid in 1995 and The Misanthrope in 1996 for The Missouri Repertory Theatre
in Kansas City. Chapter four presents a case study of a production of The Learned Ladies in
2015, directed by Theodore Swetz at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. As the author
of this thesis played a role in the production, he possesses first-hand knowledge of the
process. Through interviews with the director, and through the dissemination of the author’s
own observations throughout the process, the methodology the director employed is
discussed as he shaped the production for a twenty-first-century American audience.
Table of Contents
Introduction -- Chapter 1. A french foundation -- Chapter 2. The Misanthrope across the United States -- Chapter 3. Kenneth Albers: an American director's perspective of Molière -- Chapter 4. Case study: The Learned Ladies, directed by Theodore Swetz -- Conclusion
Degree
M.A.