From Theatre to Cinema: Molière in the canton of Vaud Countryside

Authors

  • Thibault Hugentobler

Keywords:

Swiss movie, adaptation, Bourgeois gentilhomme, comedy-ballet, Molière

Abstract

Rediscovered on the occasion of a retrospective on Molière in films at the Cinémathèque suisse (Lausanne) in 2022, the movie Monsieur Molière aux champs looks at the theatrical practices of a farming community in the canton of Vaud countryside. Directed by Swiss photographer and journalist Yvan Dalain in 1988-1989, the movie depicts the real lives of the inhabitants of Orzens, Gossens and Opens, drawing links with Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, a comedy-ballet by Molière and Lully, almost 320 years after its creation. This paper looks back at the origins of this ambitious project, analyzing the format and adaptation processes used on stage and screen.

Author Biography

Thibault Hugentobler

THIBAULT HUGENTOBLER graduated from the University of Lausanne with a Master’s degree in art history and French literature. Specialized in architectural and movable heritage, he is the author of articles focusing on remarkable buildings in French-speaking Switzerland (Hauteville Castle in Saint-Légier-La Chiésaz, Federal Court building at Mon-Repos in Lausanne). He has also worked on the glass industry (Glass factories of Monthey and Saint-Prex). His keen interest in the theatre arts has also led him to study their history, particularly the conditions of performance in the 16th and 17th centuries (Théodore de Bèze’s Abraham sacrifiant, Pierre Corneille’s Andromède), as well as contemporary  reinterpretations of the classics. As an amateur actor, he’s part of the Compagnie Acte V, which in 2018 staged an adaptation of Pierre Corneille’s Horace and in 2020 directed a short film based on Molière’s L’École des femmes and La Critique de L’École des femmes.

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Published

2023-11-30

How to Cite

Hugentobler, T. (2023). From Theatre to Cinema: Molière in the canton of Vaud Countryside. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai - Dramatica, 68(2), 59–75. Retrieved from https://dramatica.ro/index.php/j/article/view/288

Issue

Vol. 68 No. 2 (2023): Contemporary Theatre Challenged by the Classics: Starting with Molière

Section

Articles

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.