I don't know if this comes through in my writing, but my adoration of France has been waning of late. Seven months away from home had started to take its toll. And then I went to see "Les Mains Sales" by Jean-Paul Sartre.
It was at the Théâtre de la Croix Rousse, where I saw the very underwhelming "Nouveau Testament" last semester. This piece redeemed the theater in my eyes. In the context of the immediate post-war period, the clandestine factions of the French Communist Party are at odds over how to proceed. A young bourgeois intellectual with lofty ideals has just joined the cause and looks for a way to contribute. His enthusiasm earns him the mission of killing one of the party's highest ranking members, whom the others judge a traitor for compromising their ideals.
In the great tradition of French theater, the play is long, and not much happens. Long, complex philosophical and political debates swirl around the stage. And yet, there is a palpable tension. The suspense emerges in this period of inaction, from the uncertainty of how the characters will finally act should they ever make up their minds about how or why to do so.
With a wordy and psychological play such as this, only a strong cast would be able to pull it off. The actors were all wonderful for the most part. Though the performance did not go completely without fault, it was good enough to bring the most gripping aspects of this play to life an an effective way. This theater-going experience has definitely inspired me to read more Sartre. Perhaps a summer project?
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