Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart’s opera premiered in 1787 and was wildly successful. It inspired countless musical variations, including ones by Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt and continues to be performed around the world today.
Byron as Don Juan, with Haidee, by Alexandre Colin (1831)
“Don Juan” by Lord Byron Written in 1821, Byron’s long narrative poem based on the legend is considered by critics to be his masterpiece. It was immensely popular but was never completed before his death in 1824. “Don Juan in Hell” by George Bernard Shaw The famous third act of Man and Superman (1903) was not performed until 1907 and features the shameless hero crafting a philosophical justification for his endless pursuit of women.
Don Juan DeMarco by Lord Byron and Jeremy Leven The 1995 film was directed by Jeremy Leven and starred Johnny Depp and Marlon Brando. The film was a modern twist on the tale and centered on a man who believed himself to be Don Juan.
Don Juan DeMarco film poster
The play you are about to see would probably never have been written if it weren’t for Molière’s competition. The story of Don Juan was taking the Paris theater scene by storm and numerous adaptations were packing the audiences in. Molière, a consummate artist as well as a practical businessman, knew a surefire hit when he saw it and so he took the well-worn tale of the scandalous nobleman and breathed new and comic life into it, all the while expecting to make a fortune. I’ve always admired Molière for his artistry. His plays are frequently near-perfect comic gems. From the unruly street comedies of his travelling theater days to the sophisticated court entertainments when he reigned supreme in Paris, Molière created plays that delight in an anarchic comic glee while at the same time providing extraordinary depth for future actors, directors and designers to explore. His plays sparkle with a bright wit and rule breaking farcical spirit as they puncture the follies and foibles of his contemporary society. In the best of his plays, Molière treads a fine line between comedy and tragedy and it is up to each company of artists to determine the correct tone for each production. Don Juan is an odd play. It keeps much of the familiar plot, adds typical Molière flourishes and then finishes on a wild journey toward destruction. This production, like the original play, might never have been. I had originally imagined a very different Don Juan but in a difficult election year with so much bad news and uncertainty, I discovered it was the anarchy of the play that most interested me, the mixture of styles, the low comedy, and the almost gleeful mocking of duty, responsibility and death. This production is very much a work of collaboration. The adaptation you are among the very first audiences to see and that was created especially for Triad Stage is attributed to me, but the brilliant designers, endlessly inventive actors, and a company worked to create a spirit of comic revolution. It would be more truthful to say that this adaptation was created by everyone whose name you see in this program. I hope this production is a celebration of theater, rule breaking, and of not taking ourselves too seriously. I hope all of that because I think this play seeks to celebrate the spirit of who we are as a theater company—a little rough and tumble and by the seat of our pants, but with such aspirations and dreams. I hope you enjoy the final celebration of our 15th anniversary season, and I look forward to seeing you again for our sweet 16.
GREENSBORO
JUNE 5-26, 2016 ADAPTED BY PRESTON LANE
Illustration dated 1914 of a scene from Don Giovanni
The myth of Don Juan, the “Seducer of Seville,’’ originated as a herovillain of Spanish folk legend, his fame spreading through the rest of Europe. Set in the 14th century, the play El Burlador de Sevilla (The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest) by Tirso de Molina, is the earliest fully-developed dramatization of the Don Juan character. Since then, the lore of the man who made as many as a thousand conquests continues to endure. There have been over 85 works of prose, theatre, and music written about Don Juan since Tirso first penned the original drama. Below are a few notable incarnations.
Director’s Note
BY MOLIÈRE
DON JUAN: The Myth, The Legend
1643
Molière is baptized Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. He was presumably born within the previous few days to Jean Poquelin, a furnisher of the royal household, and Marie Poquelin.
1673
After many years of bad health and personal turmoil, Molière dies on February 17. Upon completion of a performance of The Imaginary Invalid, he begins hemorrhaging and having seizures, the result of contracting tuberculosis years earlier. Because of his scandalous past with the church, Armande has to petition the archbishop of Paris and the king, to have Molière buried on sacred ground. She is eventually granted the right to bury her husband at the parish cemetery of St-Eustache.
Armande Béjart
The company returns to Paris and performs Pierre Corneille’s tragedy Nicomède and Molière’s Le Docteur amoureux for King Louis XIV in the guardroom of the Louvre on an improvised stage. The company wins favor with the king and his brother, Philippe I. The company changes its name to the Troupe de Monsieur and begins performing at the Hôtel du Petit-Bourbon, where it premieres L’Etourdi and Le Dépit amoureux by Molière. The company shares the space with the Italian players of Tiberio Fiorillo. From them Molière learns the principles of Commedia dell’arte, which greatly influence his future work.
1658
After studying civil law at the University of Orléans, Jean-Baptiste refuses to take over his father’s royal appointment to pursue a life on stage. He meets Madeleine Béjart, a talented actress, who persuades him to form the Illustre Théâtre along with her and eight other actors. The company produces and plays comedies. He adopts the stage name, Molière and keeps it until the end of his life. Béjart and Molière become lovers and their relationship continues for almost 20 years.
Molière
1622
1645
1662
Dramaturgy notes created by Bryan Conger, Dramaturg & Katie Chidester, Assistant Director
Don Juan; or, The Feast of Stone premieres in Paris and continues a string of comedies written by Molière that satirize politics, religion, and societal norms. Some of these include The School for Wives (1663), Tartuffe (1664-9) and The Misanthrope (1666). Molière is harshly criticized by religious leaders and makes many enemies in the aristocracy. His productions are shut down and his plays are censored. Don Juan only plays for 15 performances before closing and is a costly failure for his company.
1665
Molière marries Armande Béjart, the beautiful 19-year-old sister of Madeleine. It is unclear if she was actually Madeleine’s sister, as documents state, or her illegitimate daughter. Some of Molière’s enemies claim that Armande is his daughter. The couple has a tumultuous marriage and separates several times. Molière is bitterly jealous of her flirtations, and the two become the subject of modern day gossip. They have three children, but only their daughter survives infancy.
Louis XIV invites Molière share his supper, painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme (1863)
The Illustre Théâtre struggles to stay open and amasses a large debt. Molière is sent to debtor’s prison for three months. After his release, the troupe begins to tour the provinces for the next 13 years, making it impossible to chronicle that time. It is assumed that these years were a crucial period for Molière’s development as an actor-manager.
Madeleine Béjart
Marie Poquelin dies leaving her 10 year old son motherless. Jean-Baptiste attends Collège de Clermont, a fashionable Jesuit school in the Latin Quarter.
1632
MOLIERE: A Life On and Off Stage