In POT BOUILLE, the well-known French novelist Emile Zola and dramatist William Busnach combine their talents to unmask the hypocrisy that hides behind the facade of a respectable and fashionable Parisian apartment house. The Josserands are struggling to make ends meet, and at the same time to marry off their two daughters to prosperous businessmen. At the heart of this broken family is a weak husband and domineering, spendthrift wife, who between them create two willful children who are doomed to unhappy lives. The sly and adulterous Berthe seduces a shop owner into marriage, and Hortense eventually runs off with the man she loves--knowing he'll never marry her. The result is an unflattering portrayal of a corrupt, immoral society at the heart of French life in the late nineteenth century. Based on one of the great novels of modern literature

Four short French plays that resurrect tales by authors better known for their fiction. MADEMOISELLE FIFI, adapted by Oscar Metenier from a story by Guy de Maupassant, describes an incident during the German occupation of France after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The officers of an isolated German regiment send to Rouen for prostitutes, but Lt. Wilhelm, better known as Mademoiselle Fifi, mistreats one of the girls, leading to a fatal confrontation. MEETING, adapted by Lucien Mayrargue from a story by Guy de Maupassant, tells of a sailor who returns home after ten years, only to have his savings stolen by the pimp of the girl he sleeps with. In JACQUES DAMOUR, by Emile Zola and Leon Hennique, a man believed dead returns home, only to find that his wife has remarried a prosperous butcher. Finally, in Emile Zola's opera libretto, LAZARUS is raised from the dead by Jesus, only to object to being brought back to life. Four great dramas dealing with life--and death

Emile Zola (1840-1902) was one of France's greatest novelists of the nineteenth century, being most famous as a writer for Nana (the story of a courtesan), and in the political world for his role in exposing the frame-up of Captain Dreyfus. However, he had limited success as a dramatist until he partnered with William Busnach, an Algerian Jew. This adaptation of the Zola novel of the same name is a powerful expose of life among the working poor, and the ravaging effects of alcholism on average, decent folk. If fact, what's most striking in this play is how human the workers are, certainly not the "animals" described by opponents of Zola's works. The destruction of a family is portrayed with clinical realism, but also with sympathy and understanding, as each of the characters gradually emerges as a sympathetic (or at least understandable) person in his or her own right. First-rate drama by a master writer

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), Lord Jim tells the story of the Third Mate aboard the ship Patna. When the vessel is holed, Jim freezes and abandons his post, leaving the 800 passengers to their fate. But the ship does not sink, and although the ensuing inquest only strips Jim of his license, the imputation of cowardice is more than the man can bear. He settles in an Asian backwater state and eventually comes to grips with his past, being driven to acts of apparent heroism to prove his worth to others--and especially to himself. But to Conrad, Jim's sacrifice merely proves that he really was a coward after all. First-rate drama

Based on Zola's 1867 novel, and dramatized by the author in 1873, this play is almost a French version of the Russian novel, Crime and Punishment. Therese and her lover, Laurent, decide to kill her likable but sickly husband, Camille (also her husband), and succeed in doing so without arousing any suspicion. The boating accident that ends Camille's life also makes Laurent a hero for rescuing Therese. The lovers remain apart for a year, until friends of the family suggest they marry. But both are remorseful and guilt-ridden. Finally, Therese's mother discovers the truth, but suffers a stroke and cannot speak. She just stares at them, and her presence drives the lovers down the path to destruction. A powerful and believable story that plays well even today.

The year is 1793. The newly-christened French Republic lies in ruins, besieged on all sides. The Royalist Chouans have risen against the Revolution, sparking a brutal war with no quarter offered on either side. Victor Hugo personalizes the struggle with his panoply of memorable characaters, from a peasant woman to a Republic Army Sergeant, who become first-person witnesses to the horrors of modern genocide. A stunning drama!

Voltaire, the pen name of Francois-Marie Arouet (1694-1778), uses the great philosopher Socrates's crusty persona, trial, and death as a forum to criticize his enemies and restate his Deism. A drama that deserves a modern re-staging.

Paul de Kock and Adolphe Guenee present a humorous dramatic prequel to the well-known Alexandre Dumas tale of The Three Musketeers. The four would-be adventurers--D'Artagnan, Aramis, Porthos, and Athos--serendipitously encounter each other at an inn outside of Paris, the city where they're heading to escape their present situations and find their fortunes. They also meet there a beautiful noblewoman fleeing an unwanted marriage imposed on her by Cardinal Richelieu--and the girl's elderly husband, the lecherous Marquis. Back and forth across France they chase each other, seeking to rescue the woman's good name. While the drama can be intense at times, it's all in good fun, and ultimately, of course, everything works out for the best--with the four gentlemen earning their commissions as King's Musketeers

Three French comedies of love and marriage. Charles Favart contributes two comic operas of considerable verve and humor. In THE DISGUISED LOVER, Julie pretends to be a man, and Clitandre pretends to be a peasant. But it's all in good fun, and while the play doesn't take itself seriously, all's well that ends well. RUSTIC AMOURS is a strange but effective blend of classical opera themes (shepherds and shepherdesses in love), combined with satire about Parisian fops and uncouth peasants--all of whom love the same beautiful shepherdess. Philippe Destouches' TRIPLE MARRIAGE is a beautifully-constructed one-act comedy about marriages that are--from the eighteenth-century high society's point-of-view--inappropriate. Old Matthews wants to marry again, but conceals his desire from his son and daughter, both of whom wish to marry as well--but not the rich old spouses their father has selected for them. Ultimately, the children take matters into their own hands. All three plays could easily be adapted to the modern stage, since their themes are universal.

Four French comedies by Jean-Francois Regnard (with Charles Dufresny), who's considered to be the best comic playwright of his age after Moliere. The sardonic and amusing THE TREE OF CHASTITY has a slight plot, but the double-entendres flying rapidly right and left keep the audience well-entertained. WAIT FOR ME UNDER THE ELM is another farce filled with verve aplenty. THE UNFORESEEN RETURN is a reworking of Plautus' Haunted House with a seventeenth-century setting. THE RIDICULOUS MERCHANT is another comedic romp. These bubbly, even obscene farces still hold up well today, with all of the characters and their situations eminently recognizable to modern audiences. Great dramatic fun

These eight short plays by Louis Carmontelle, Thomas Gueulette, Jan Potocki, and Russian Empress Catherine II the Great (of all people ) were all the rage in eighteenth-century France--short skits that could easily be performed by amateur companies. Since they weren't writing "literature," the authors of these pieces could create anything without adhering to the "dramatic rules." And invent they did Bawdy, even obscene humor permeates many of these works. All of them are wacky, anything-for-a-laugh comedies with little or no attention paid to logic, plots, or themes--just a series of zany, lewd, funny actions near enough to reality to be slightly discomfiting to the popular audiences who loved them. And they still remain as sidesplitting today as they were 200 years ago

Three French comedies focusing on Parisian women and their intricate love lives. MIMI PINSON, by Jean Bayard and Philippe Dumanoir, is a carefree, self-supporting, independent woman. She's a grisette (working girl) who loves as she pleases, doesn't care about money, and is both happy and charming in her simple life. THE TYPE YOU DON'T MARRY, by Edouard Pailleron, tells the tale of the girl Adrienne, who after being a mistress for six years, finally succeeds in marrying her lover. Love triumphs over morality, as the lover gives up a potentially good marriage and his family to remain with the woman he loves. MARRIED SINCE NOON, by William Busnach and Armand Liorat, is a monologue by a girl, Estelle, who's just married. She's a bit naive and volatile, but utterly charming in her simplicity. Three very funny plays that could still be presented today

Two comedies by a cousin of French King Louis XIV. THE SPIRIT OF CONTRADICTION is an hilarious play about a woman whose sole aim in life is to prevent others (mostly in her own family) from getting their way. So contrary is she to anything that's suggested to her that her husband, daughter, and in-laws must conceal, as best they can, their real wishes. But she knows they know--and this creates absolutely side-splitting situations. This extremely popular comedy had more performances by the Comedie Francaise through 1900 than other play in its repertoire. THE DOUBLE WIDOWING is based on a similar premise: a husband and wife hate each other (and are too hypocritical to say so), but are drawn to their niece and nephew, respectively. This attraction is not reciprocated by the young people, who are in love with each other, but lack the money to marry. The youngsters have to work through a charade to convince their elders to back their union. Two brilliantly funny plays that still hold up well today

Two plays by the well-known French Enlightenment philosopher and writer, Denis Diderot. THE PLAY AND THE PROLOGUE examines, with a certain amount of skepticism, the motives of people helping other people. The playwright Hardouin, who's clearly modeled on Diderot himself, manipulates those around him to generate what he believes to be beneficial results for those in need--whatever those needs are. But the recipients are not so sanguine about the underhanded methods that Hardouin employs to attain his ends, however good they might be. THE UNFORTUNATE FATHERS presents a family reduced to extreme poverty and even starvation by the intemperate actions of a father and his son. In the end, of course, all's well that ends well. Charles Palissot, in his plays The Philosophers & The Stumbling Block of Morals (also available from Borgo Press), accused Diderot of being a dishonest charlatan. But these two plays show a different side of Diderot--a man of compassion and caring, but never a fool. Great Enlightenment drama

Three plays by French author Voltaire, author of the classic novel, Candide. THE BARON OF OTRANTO tells the story of the beautiful enslaved girl, Irene, who's quite shameless and uninhibited in using her feminine charms to seduce and defeat her captor, the corsair Abdullah--and thereby free her beloved Baron Otranto. SAMSON is one of the best opera librettos that blends classic Greek and Roman forms with Biblical theme and myth, retelling the Old Testament tale of Samson and Delila. Samson's aria became France's national anthem during the initial phase of the French Revolution. PANDORA retells the classical myth of Prometheus, who steals the fire of life from Heaven and then animates Pandora--his beautiful creation who becomes his wife and lover, and whom Jupiter jealously covets. Great French drama by an icon of French literature.

Two classical French plays by the author of Candide. IRENE is set in the ancient Byzantine Empire. Alexis Comnenus, a noble general, revolts against the Emperor Nicephorus, who's been jealous of the officer's love for Nicephorus's wife, Irene. The Emperor dies defending his throne, and Alexis takes his place. Now he wants to marry his former lover. But although Irene has loved Alexis since childhood, she cannot marry the murderer of her husband, however odious he may have been. In the end she takes the only way out of her dilemma. TANIS AND ZELIDE tells the tale of Queen Zelide of Egypt, who's been driven from her throne by the Magi, and has taken refuge with the shepherds of the countryside. Tanis, one of the rustics, champions her cause, and wins battles on her behalf, while one of Zelide's loyal officers, Phanor, looks on with jealousy. Phanor betrays his lover to the evil priests, but Tanis prevails, and marches on Memphis, Egypt, where he reveals that he's the avatar of a god. The shepherd marries the Queen, and together they rule Egypt. Two great dramas by an icon of French literature

Two operas with classical themes. SALAMMBO by Camille du Locle is based on Gustave Flaubert's well-known novel of the same name. The story is set in Carthage after the First Punic War, when mercenaries hired by the state revolt for lack of payment. The leader of the insurrectionists, Matho, falls in love with Salammbo, daughter of General Hamilcar--and this obsession leads ultimately to his destruction. DIDO, by Jean-Francois Marmontel, is one of the best modern dramatizations of the great love story recounted by Virgil in his epic poem, The Aeneid. The Trojan prince Aeneas, who has sought refuge in Carthage after the destruction of Troy, falls in love with Queen Dido. She in turn spurns the affections of Yarbas, a Morrocan king, prompting an attack on the city. After defending Dido's honor, Aeneas is compelled by the gods to continue his journey to Italy, where he'll eventually become the founder of the Roman city and state. Two great tragedies of love won--and love lost

Here are three French plays from the Enlightenment Period dealing with the subject of slavery. ISLE OF SLAVES, by Pierre de Marivaux, is the longest and most challenging of the three. It postulates an island in the ancient Greek world where the slaves have revolted and seized power, killing all of their former masters and declaring their independence. Now, any "masters" shipwrecked on their island are forced to live as slaves of their own slaves to impress upon them the wrongs they've committed. THE MERCHANT OF SMYRNA, by Nicolas Chamfort, and THE BEAUTIFUL SLAVE, by Antoine-Jean Dumaniant, both deal with the pain that Christian and Muslim lovers experience when one (or both) of them are captured and sold into slavery--and then are fortuitously freed by their new owners or through their own efforts. These dramas represent early moral judgments in the late eighteenth century on the evils of slavery, and as such, are important milestones in the history of European drama.

These three plays all deal with the chaos resulting from the aftermath of the fall in 1815 of the Emperor Napoleon. THE MADWOMAN OF BERESINA, by Emmanuel Theaulon and Honore de Balzac, is based on a short story by the latter author. Julie, Countess of Vandieres, witnesses the death of her officer husband during the retreat of the French Army from Russia in 1812, at the River Beresina; although she lives to return to France, she loses her mind. Only after the war do her surviving friends attempt to restore her sanity once again. THE END OF MURAT, by Jean Berleux and Alexandre Dumas, adapted from an incident in a Dumas novel, deals with the fall of Joachim Murat, Napoleonic King of the Two Sicilies, in late 1815, and his trial at the instigation of the restored monarch, King Ferdinand. THE TRIAL OF MARSHAL NEY, by Louis-Marie Fontan and Charles Dupeuty, outlines the trial of one of Napoleon's chief generals and supporters, by command of the restored King Louis XVIII of France. All three dramas provide riveting glimpses into a period when Europe was trying to rediscover itself--without much success. First-rate tragedies

Three delightful French plays about different aspects of Love. ZENEIDA, by Louis de Cahusac, is a fairy tale about love being blind--but says that true love can happen anyway, regardless of looks. It's a story filled with charm and grace. THE FOLLIES OF LOVE, by Jean-Francois de Regnard, demonstrates how far love will go to have its way. The heroine, who's being oppressed by her aged tutor, Albert, goes to emotional extremes, feigning madness, to escape his unwanted affections. THE CAT WHO TURNED INTO A WOMAN, by Eugene Scribe, is a light-hearted comedy about a young man who falls in love with his cat, believing that she's turned into a woman. But the heroine just continues chasing around a ball of twine and licking cream from her fingers. Great fun Love is eternal, these dramas suggest, and never ceases to be interesting and compelling (and entertaining ) to the human animal.