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

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

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

Set in Trieste, Sicily, and Morocco, this play tells the story of Mathias Sandorf, a Hungarian patriot who is betrayed to the Austrians by one of his comrades-in-arms. Thought to be dead, Sandorf returns after many years of wandering to seek his revenge. This is one of the first modern depictions in drama of a gay couple.