Routledge Le Théâtre du Soleil: The First Fifty-Five Years

Le Théâtre du Soleil traces the company’s history from a group of young, barely trained actors, directors, and designers struggling to match their political commitment to a creative strategy, to their grappling with the concerns of migration, separation and exile in the early decades of the twenty-first century. Béatrice Picon-Vallin recounts how, in the 55 years since its founding, the Théâtre du Soleil has established itself as one of the foremost names in modern theatre. Ariane Mnouchkine and her collaborators have developed a unique and ever-evolving style that combines a piercing richness of shape, color, and texture with precision choreography, innovative musical accompaniment, and multi-layered, metaphorical dreamscapes. This rich, storied history is illustrated by a wealth of spectacular rehearsal and production photos from the company's own archive and interviews with dozens of past and present members, including Mnouchkine herself. Judith G. Miller’s timely translation of the first comprehensive history and analysis of a remarkable, award-winning company is a compelling read for both students and teachers of Drama and Theatre Studies. Review Judith G. Miller’s translation of this stunningly illustrated history of the artistic, theoretical and socio-political commitments driving the Théâtre du Soleil’s creations under the direction of Ariane Mnouchkine offers the mostcurrent and comprehensive portrait of the Soleil to date. - Deborah Gaensbauer, Studies in 20th and 21st Century Literature About the Author Béatrice Picon-Vallin is the former director of France's research laboratory for the Performing Arts at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and professor of Theatre History at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts (CNSAD) in Paris, France. She is currently Director Emeritus of Research at the CNRS. Judith G. Miller is professor of French and Francophone Theatre and collegiate professor at NYU, New York, USA and affiliate professor at NYU, Abu Dhabi.