The Playwright - Moliere

"One ought to look a good deal at oneself before thinking of 
condemning others." - Jean-Baptiste Moliere

Moliere was a French playwright born in 1622, and died on stage on tuberculosis in 1673. Born under the name Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, later known by his stage name Moliere. He was born into a wealthy family. His Father was the furnishers for the king, which meant Moliere received a good education at the College de Clermont. His Mother died when he was 10 years old. He was expected to follow in his fathers footsteps, but he decided to become an actor instead. He went on to become one the greatest French writers, forming his own company which combined aspects of commedia dell'arte and refined French comedy.

In our production Moliere's company was the backbone of our world. We were lucky to have an actor to spoke fluent French so we began the production with a scene with 'Moliere' and a translator discussing the scandal of the comedy when it was first shown, this was from Moliere's preface to the play:


''Here is a comedy about which people have raised quite a stir, which has long been persecuted, and the people it mocks have made plain that they were more powerful in France than all those I have mocked heretofore. The marquises, the precious ladies, the cuckolds, and the doctors have suffered the portrayal in peace, and have even made a show of being amused, like everyone else, by the sketches we made of them. But the hypocrites could not take mockery; they were immediately affrighted, and found it strange that I should be so bold as to make sport of their grimacing and wish to criticize an occupation meddled in by so many honest folk.''

Buom Tihngang, as Moliere reading an abridged preface to the play