French theater dates back to the 12th century, which is when the idea of performing arts for the purposes of entertainment rather than just for religious reasons was starting to emerge. Most initial plays were written in Latin. The first theatre in France was constructed in 1641.
France’s greatest dramatists emerged during the 1600s. Pierre Corneille wrote over 30 plays and was only surpassed in popularity by Jean Racine. Racine captured audiences through his realistic characters and simple writing style. His tragedies were inspired by Greek myths and focused on a small group of people struggling with passion, duty, love, and honor.
Molière, however, was the real king of comedy. He created a body of plays that are as fresh and relevant today as they were when first created. One of his biggest masterpieces was Tartuffe, which received much criticism from the church and was only performed because the king intervened. Molière’s plays explored social, psychological, and metaphysical questions and always kept the audience on their toes.
In the 18th century, the plays of Pierre de Marivaux rose to fame and inspired the term, “marivaudage” meaning the style in which subtle phycological components in humans are portrayed by the playwright. Hidden behind the comedic aspects were political messages that, some claim, helped to stir up the French Revolution.
In the 19th century, Romanticism emerged, which emphasized emotion and individualism. This led to the creation of works such as Victor Hugo's "Hernani", which celebrated the individual and rejected the strict rules of neoclassicism. This period saw the emergence of a new type of theatre, the "theatre of the people", which sought to bring theatre to a wider audience.
In the 20th century, French theatre saw the emergence of new movements such as surrealism and the Theatre of the Absurd. These movements rejected traditional forms of theatre and emphasized experimentation and the exploration of the subconscious. French theatre in the 20th century also saw the emergence of new voices, such as Antonin Artaud and Jean Genet, who pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable in theatre.
Sources cited:
“The History of Theater.” The History of French Theater, https://www.whatparis.com/theater-history-paris.html
Mills, Ian C. “French Theatre.” French Theatre, Opera & Ballet - The Arts in France, http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Theatre/DF_theatre.shtml
“Drama, French.” Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia.com, https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/drama-french
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