L'Avare, one of Molière's best-known comedies, returns to the Comédie-Française for its third consecutive season. The play, directed by Lilo Baur, is a re-visited classic, set in the aftermath of the Second World War.
Molière'sL'Avarereturns to the Comédie-Française for a new season, from September 18, 2024 to January 1, 2025. The famous playwright's play is adapted and directed by Lilo Baur, taking us to the shores of Lake Geneva in post-war Switzerland.
Molière's L'Avaretells the story of Harpagon, an old man obsessed with money. He plans to marry off his daughter Élise to a wealthy old man, Anselme, and wants to marry Mariane himself, who is loved by his son Cléante, but Élise loves Valère, a young man without fortune. A suit is then organized by the younger men, but the situation is complicated when Harpagon's treasure is stolen...
Lilo Baur's contemporary adaptation of L'Avare plunges the audience into the 21st century. She turns Harpagon into a money-obsessed banker, having made his fortune after the Second World War. Molière is brought into the 1950s, and the shortcomings of the society the playwright denounced in 1668 are brought to life in a time close to our own. This is not the director's first performance at the Comédie-Française, this adaptation of Molière's play being her sixth staging for this legendary Paris theater.
This five-act comedy is a classic of French literature, still studied in schools today. First performed at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in 1668, L'Avare tackles universal themes such as avarice, love and family relationships, while subtly criticizing society's shortcomings. The puns and misunderstandings found in the text, written by the famous Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (real name Molière), make the play hilarious and fine, and very enjoyable to see in the magnificent setting of the Comédie-Française .
Molière' sL'Avare will be performed in the Salle Richelieu at the Comédie-Française from September 18, 2024 to January 1, 2025. Tickets will soon be available online, and this article will be updated as they become available.
Classical plays to see now in Paris and the Ile-de-France region
