Théâtres de Société in France: A Salon Experiment and Laboratory of New Rules
Abstract
Théâtres de societé became one of the favourite amusements of aristocracy, noblemen, and wealthy bourgeoisie of the 18th-century France. Some required substantial funding (as in the case of Duchess du Maine or Madame de Pompadour), though they often did without elaborate decorations and sophisticated costumes; nearly always they were organised by women, nearly always in connection with activities of their salons. The newfound passion for private theatres, organised with the audience of friends in mind, contributed to the weakening of the hierarchical structure of French society. Actors, often giving lessons in acting (and even acting with the powerful and privileged amateurs on stage) became guests of refined and sophisticated salons; discussions between aristocrats and playwrights, who composed some of their plays specifically with the théâtres de société in mind or simply assisted in staging their plays privately, became more common as well. Contrary to popular belief, théâtres de société were not just empty entertainment; they had an influence on the hierarchical changes within the 18th century society.
Keywords:
18th century theatre, 18th century salon, French 18th century theatre, French theatre, 18th century societyReferences
Claretie, L. (1906). Histoire des théâtres de société, avec 29 gravures dans le texte. Paris: Librairie Molière. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k110562s.image
Google Scholar
Lilti, A. (2005). Le Monde des salons: Sociabilité et mondanité à Paris au XVIIIe siècle. Paris: Fayard
Google Scholar
Hellegouarc’h, J. (2000). L 'Esprit de société: Cercles et «salons » parisiens au XVIIIe siècle. Paris: Éditions Garnier. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k33238313/f12.image.texteImage
Google Scholar
Plagnon-Diéval, M.-E., & Quéro, D. (eds.) (2005). Les théâtres de société au XVIIIe siècle. (Études sur le XVIIIe siècle). Bruxelles: Éditions de l'Université de Bruxelles
Google Scholar
Trott, D. (2000). Théâtre du XVIIIe siècle. Jeux, écritures, regards. Montpellier: Éditions espaces 34
Google Scholar
Jullien, A. (1874). Histoire du théâtre de Madame de Pompadour dit Théâtre des Petits Cabinets. Paris. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k55118773.texteImage
Google Scholar
Ozouf, M. (1995). Les Mots des femmes: Essai sur la singularité française. Paris: Fayard.
Google Scholar
Hourcade, P. (2014). Madame de Pompadour et le théâtre des cabinets du roi. Paris: Éditions Michel de Maule
Google Scholar
Plagnol-Diéval, M.-E. (2003). Le théâtre de société, un autre théâtre. Paris: Honoré Champion
Google Scholar
Statistics
Abstract views: 290PDF downloads: 210
License
Copyright (c) 2018 Piotr Olkusz
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The author grants a royalty-free nonexclusive license (CC BY 4.0) to use the article in Pamiętnik Teatralny, retains full copyright, and agrees to identify the work as first having been published in Pamiętnik Teatralny should it be published or used again (download licence agreement). By submitting an article the author agrees to make it available under CC BY 4.0 license.
From issue 1/2018 to 3/2022 all articles were published under a Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. During this period the authors granted a royalty-free nonexclusive license (CC BY-ND 4.0) to use their article in Pamiętnik Teatralny, retained full copyright, and agreed to identify the work as first having been published in our journal should it be published or used again.
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- Piotr Olkusz, The Paradox of Convention: «Critical reflections» by Jean-Baptiste Dubos , Pamiętnik Teatralny: Vol. 69 No. 1 (2020)
- Piotr Olkusz, From the Company to the Theatre Enterprise: The Official Stages of 18th-century Paris: Development and Scrutiny , Pamiętnik Teatralny: Vol. 67 No. 1/2 (2018)
- Piotr Olkusz, Molière’s «The Affected Ladies»: A Farce against Women? , Pamiętnik Teatralny: Vol. 72 No. 1 (2023): Molière: Revisited (with essay cluster curated by Patryk Kencki)
- Piotr Olkusz, Marivaux’s Archipelago: «L’Île des Esclaves», «L’Île de la Raison», and «Colonie» , Pamiętnik Teatralny: Vol. 66 No. 3 (2017)
