You have never seen a bosom like this one. It begins at the armpits and droops down to the waist, a sort of humpback in reverse. Like any good bosom, it can heave on cue. And its rhythmic flappings signal the kind of lewd-icrous jokes we are in for at the Yale Repertory Theater's production of Molière's classic comedy ''A Doctor in Spite of...
The thing to keep in mind about ''The Misanthrope'' is that in 17th-century France, you could apparently be arrested for insulting a man's sonnet. Even though it was in the privacy of your girlfriend's living room. And even though he specifically asked for your opinion and begged you to be brutally honest. Molière's ''Misanthrope'' had its first...
To spray mankind with insult is a crime Unless you clad your calumnies in rhyme In which case all the world will laud your skill Until of richest praise you've had your fill Perhaps a cautionary note should be inserted in the program for ''The School for Lies,'' David Ives's delightful period comedy at the Classic Stage Company. When you emerge...
Molière voksede op i en meget velstående hoftapetserermesterfamilie. Han studerede hos jesuitterne på Collège de Clermont (Nu Lycée Louis-le-Grand). Hans far ønskede at han skulle studere jura, men det ville Molière ikke. Han ville hellere skrive skuespil end arve sin fars indbringende stilling ved hoffet.
Allerede som 21-årig opsatte han sit første stykke, som gik i tre år. I 1658 spillede han for kongen og oprettede snart efter et egentligt teater. Fra 1659 udgav han mindst et værk om året. Hans produktion strakte sig fra simple farcer til meget sofistikerede komedier, som gjorde nar af menneskelig svaghed og tåbelig adfærd.
I Tartuffe skabte Molière en af sine berømte personer, en religiøs hykler. Stykket var så provokerende, at Louis XIV, som selv fandt det underholdende, ikke tillod offentlig opførelse i fem år for ikke at fornærme det magtfulde franske kleresi. Fold ud