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JACQUES COPEAU
JACQUES COPEAU:
DRAMATIC CRITIC AND
REFORMER OF THE THEATRE
By
WILLIAM THOMAS MASON
A Thesis
Submitted to the 2'aculty of Graduate Studies
in Partial Fulfilment of the Hequlrements for the Degree lViaster of Arts
McMaster University
October 1973
MASTER OF ARTS (1973)
(French)
McMASTER UNIVERSITY
Hamilton, Ontario.
TITLE: Jacques Copeau: Dramatic Critic and Reformer of the
Theatre
AUTHOR: William Thomas Mason, B.A. (McMaster University)
M.A. (Johns Hopkins University)
SUPERVISOR: Professor B. S. Pocknell
PAGES: v, 83
SCOPE AND CONTENTS: An analysis of the development of Jacques Copeau's principles of dramatic art, of their anplica tian ta a renovation of .J.:'rench theatre and of their influence on succeeding theatrical figures (ii)
Acknowledgements
My thanks to Dr. Brian S. Pocknell for hie interest, encouragement and counsel and to McMaster University for its financial assistance. (iii)
Table of Contents
Introduction: Copeau's career
Copeau the cri tic
Copeau the reformer
Copeau's legacy
Appendix: Repertory of the Vieux-Colombier
Select Bibliogranhy
(iv) 1 16 36
61
73
76
Abbreviations
Jacques Copeau, du Vieux-Colombier.
C.R.B. Cahiers de la Comnagnie Madeleine Renaud --Jean-Louis
Barraul t.
R.H.T. d'Histoire du Théâtre.
(v)
I. Introduction: Copeau's career
Jacques Copeau's career in the theatre from his days as dramatic critic, "when many of his principles developed, through his years of practical reform as director of the Ihéâtre du Vieux=folombier, to the propagation of his ideals by his former actors and students or by admirers has had such a profound influence on the art of the theatre that he can be ranked with Max Reinhardt in Germany, Adolphe Appia in Switz- erland, Edward Gordon Craig in England and Constantin lavsky in Russia as one of the outstanding leaders in early twentieth-century theatre. Of these men, whose experiments or theories achieved international acclaim and altered theatrical styles throughout Europe and abroad, the careers of the Russian and of the French actor-directors are in many ways similar, as Copeau himself pointed out in his preface to the French translation of Stanislavsky's autobiography, Ma Vie dans l'art. l After a lengthy apprenticeship of fifteen years in the theatre, Stanislavsky finally became the leading artistic force in the Moacow Art" Theatre, in which from 1898 to 1906 "il ITranslated by Nina Gourfinke1 and Léon Chancerel. 2nd ed. Paris, 1950. (lst ed. 1934). l 2 lutte contre la routine, la théâtralité, le cabotinage, le mauvais goüt et les mauvaises manières. Il soumet tous les éléments de la création à une volonté unique, ou du moins à' l'autorité d'inspirations concertées. A mesure que son savoir ·s'accroît .•• il sent mieux la nécessité d'une réforme plus pro- fonde et plus radicale. Mais, sous la pression des circonstan ces, il est contraint de l'ajourner. ,,2 Having enriched and transformed the art of the theatre in his country during the se' years"but not having reached its essence to his own satisfac- tion, Stanislavsky decided to devote himself to 1ntense research and ta experiments with a group of youthful collaborators away from the large city. Important changes in his conceptions of the theatre developed to add new life to his art: "Il n'accorde plus de crédit à la domination du metteur en scène sur l'inter- prète. Pas davantage aux prestiges de la décoration scénique. Il réclame un tréteau nu pour l'acteur souverain. Son unique souci, son recours, son espoir, il les place dans le développe- ment 1"utur de liacteur, non pas en tant qu'instrument mais en tant que source créatrice de vie artistique, d'émotion vraie •••. [IIJ fait appel aux jeunes, à des élèves, à des figurants, pour sortir du théâtre,.s'installer aux champs, former le noyau d'une communauté nouvelle, d'une confrérie d'acteurs, et tout recommencer. Mais les générations pré-révolutionnaires manquent
2Ibid., p. 10.
3 de discipline. Les studios qui se multiplient s'isolent les uns des autres. Ils passent trop vite de l'expérimentation à l'exploitation, et deviennent à eux-mêmes leur propre fin.,,3 The conclusions Stanislavsky reached are those which Copeau, usually independant of any direct influence, considered funda- mental, and the description of the evolution in Russian theatre after Stanislavsky's example applies equally weIl to develop- ments in French theatre, as Copeau saw them in 1934. Although Copeau did not meet Stanislavsky until December, 1922, when the Moscow Art Theatre visited Paris, the sincerity and integrity of the efforts of the Russian were a constant inspiration and example for Copeau and his company. Unlike Stanislavsky, Copeau did not spend his years of apprenticeship in an acting company before becoming director of a -troupe. Born-in Paris on February 4. 1879, Jacques Copeau was introduced early to the theatre as a spectator by his father and grandfather. As a student at the Lycée Condorcet, one of his plays, Brouillard du matin, was performed on March
27, 1897 at the Nouveau Théâtre by the Anciens Elèves de Con-
dorce-t and received high praise from the influential Francisque Sarcey. Nevertheless, a second play by Copeau was not produced until 1911, when his adaptation of Les Frères Karamazov, writ- ten in collaboration with a former classmate at Condorcet and
3Ibid., p. 12.
4 then actor at the Comédie-Française, Jean Croué, was performed at Jacques Rouché's Théâtre des Arts, and his real importance as leader of a theatrical renovation did not begin until the founding of his Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in 1913. In the· intervening years, Copeau continued his studies, read very widely, worked on several other plays, travelled, married, managed after his father's death the iron-works owned by the family at Raucourt until its bankruptcy, and began con- tributing articles to literary magazines. Through one of these contributions, a prose-poem in praise of L'Immoraliste, Copeau came to know André Gide, and a firm friendship grew with time. Gide was instrumental in introducing Copeau to the literary milieu of the day and especially to Jean Schlumberger, Henri Ghéon, Jacques Rivière, André Suarès and Charles Péguy. Through
André
Schoeller and .the painter Albert Besnard, Copeau was appointed in charge of one of the galleries at Georges Petit's Galerie d'Art Moderne in 1905. This position more or lèss assured the daily subsistance of Copeau and his family, while leaving his evenings free to attend the theatre and write his accounts of the productions he saw there. Copeau's critical reviews of his contemporary theatre began appearing as early as 1902 in La Revue d'Art Dramatique and continued with greater regularity in L'Ermitage \1904- journals with a limited circulation such as Les Essais or 5 Antée, and on occasion in Le Petit Journal and Le Gaulois. The realm of influence of Copeau's dramaticcriticisms was greatly increased in 1907, when Jacques Rouché appointed him to succeed Léon Blum as cri tic of La Grande Revue,. to which he contributed until 1910, and the Nouvelle Revue Française provided the final important regular outlet for Copeau's reflections on the theatre of his day from 1909 to 1913. In his souvenirs on the five years he spent at the··
Galerie d'Art MOderne
4,
Copeau reveals that his gallery became
a meeting-place for sorne of the leading literary figures of his day, including Gide, Rouché, Léon Daudet, Henry Vandeputte (of Antée), Edouard Ducoté tof L'Ermitage), Schlumberger, Mi- ch el Arnauld, Ghéon, André Ruyters and Eugène Montfort, and that much of the organization of the N.R.F. was àiscussed there. Copeau's connection with this journal was te be the most important stage in his early development befor.e the opening of his theatre. After the quarrel surrounding the first issue of November 25, 1908 arid the subsequent of Montfort, Copeau became director of the review and led it through the opening years to a position of prominence in· the French 1itera- ry world.
4Jacques Copeau, "Souvenirs: la Galerie Georges Petit",
Revue Hebdomadaire, November 23, 1929, pp. 387-395. 6 The connections Copeau developed with this group of dedicated men and with the readers of the review served him weIl in succeeding years in several important respects, and he gratefully acknowledged his debt to them: "mon caractère et mes idées se sont formés. Avec eux j'ai fait l'apprentissage d'une vie consacrée à la tâche de chaque jour. J'ai pris les moeurs de l'indépendance et du courage intellectuel •••• Nous étions les plus unis et les plus libres que j'aie vus ...• J'ai souvent pensé que si, aux débuts d'une vie difficile, j'ai pu ne point céder sous le poids de besognes dégradantes, ne pas laisser se dévoyer ma vocation •.. c'est à mes amis que je le dois. J'ai eu cette chance de pouvoir toujours porter très haut mon regard, d'être toujours encouragé, blâmé, relan cé par des voix sincères, rigoureuses et d'autorité.,,5 Copeau tried to imbue his theatre with the sarne spirit of dedioation, of op6hhess to differing trends and of friendship as he had witnessed among the collaborators of the N.R.F .. The men who helped Copeau.organize his theatre were for the most part drawn from the milieu of the rev1.ew and the first contemporary plays performed by the company were written by leaders of the N.R.F •. During his years as dramatic critic for the journal, Copeau was able to.continue his iri-depth analyses
5Jacques Copeau, Les Cahiers du Vieux-Colombier. No. 1:
Les amis du Vieux-Colombier, pp. 5-6.
7 of current theatre and thus to familiarize a group of readers "with his ideals. To this audience and in the pages of this review, Copeau could then make his initial appea1 for support of"his new project. During the first season of the Vieux-Qolom-. bier, the N.R.F. continued to encourage the theatre with highly reviews, which contrasted with the reception given by the critics of many other French newspapers or periodicals. Thus, Jacques Copeau's decision to set about the reno- vation of the theatre was the culmination of his activity as dramatic cri tic. As an observer of the theatre, he had develo- ped over the years a clear conception of its ills and certain definiteprinciples for refQrm, which were ta become .the basis of his effort as theatre directar. At the height of his success, Copeau gathered what he considered to be the most important and the most representative of his reviews into a collection, Critiques d'un autre temps6, which will be examined in the second chapter of this essay to indicate what principles Copeau advocated and what caused his indignation leading finally to his decision to open his own theatre in 1913. In order to avoid the contamination of the commerciai theatre district, Copeau and his associa tes chose to take over a small left-bank theatre, the Athénée-Saint-Germain. Even this theatre was too elaborate for the spirit in which Copeau
6paris: Nouvelle Revue Française, 1923.
8 wished his troupeto work, and he therefore assigned Francis Jourdain to transform it to give an atmosphere of increased sobriety. Meanwhile Copeau set about choosing actors who would respond to his ideal and took them to his country retreat, where they rehearsed daily for two months before returning to Paris to open on October 22, The impact of the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier with its hard-working, unified troupe and its high ideals was by no means immediate, but its influence on succéeding generations has been profound despite itsrelatively short existence (five and a half seasons in Paris and two in New York). Despite brief successes during the first season, it was not until the final production in May 1914, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, that the reputation of the new theatre was firmly established. Its highly promising future was interrupted, however, by the declaration of war and the consequent dispersal of the troupe.
After his from the armed services for medical
reasons, Copeau did not remain inactive, but his activitywas reflective and consisted of meditations on the experience of a single season of direct intervention, of correspondance with his troupe to keep alive the spirit of the Vieux-Colombier and ta discuss further innovati?ns, and of visits to leading theore ticians on the theatre or gymnastics (to Craig in Florence and tû Appia and Emile J a q in Swi tzerland) which confirmed some of Copeau's ideas and opened new vistas for 9 future experimentation. When he returned from these visits, he made a first groping attempt at realizing one of the funda- mental elements of his program for reform, ·the establishment of a theatre school.
To combat the propaganda effort of Germany in the
United states, the French government decided to send Copeau in
1917 to lecture in America on French culture. While there,
Otto Kahn encouraged him to try to reassemble his troupe and bring it to New York to replace the inept company of Lucien _ Bonheur, "dont on a pu écrire, dans le New York Times, qu'elle était la meilleure réclame imaginable en faveur du théâtre rt allemand ur , whose repertory had consisted largely of Eoulevard plays with adultery or the eternal triangle as the main themes. It was hoped that the broader and more serious reper- tory of the VieUx-Colombier would correct the impression cre- atedby the Deutsches Theater in New York of the superiority of German over French culture. With a company consisting part-
1y of actors of the original troupe and 'of a number of new
elements, Copeau presented in 1917-.18 a program similar to that of his first season in Paris, mixing French and foreign c1assics with more contemporary works in a rolling repertory. Critica1 rBaction was favourable but soon became apathetic,
7Jacques Copeau, "Le Théâtre français aux Etats-Unis",
Le Figaro, October 4, 1917, p. 1.
10 while public support diminished in the face of the difficulty of foreign-language theatre and unaccustomed repertory. A pro- paganda mission without a public would have been a failure, and Copeau therefore compromised in his choice of plays during . the second season (1918-19), even to the point of presenting plays of which he disapproved in an effort to attract·a larger audience. Of plays performed by the company for the first time in New York, only a very small minority remained in the reper- tory of the Vieux-Colombier on its return to Paris after the 8 war. Disappointed though he was by the experience in New York and by the necessity of cûmprûmising his high ideals, Co- peau nonetheless reopened his theatre in February, 1920, deter- to continue the renovation of French theatrical standards. Experiments with stage construction, begun in 1913-14 and con- tinued at the Garrick Theatre in N€w York, led tû a new cOl1cept of a solid cement stage with a fixed decor on which during the next four and ·a half seasons; the "Vieux-Colombier presented a 8 For a detailed analysis of the seasons in New York, see Albert Michael Katz, A Historical Study of Jacques Copeau and the Vieux-Colombier Company at the Garrick Theatre in New York City, 1917-1919. Ph.D.,University of Michigan, 1966. Il program of classics, recent plays, ·new creations and revivals 9. The theatre's fame continued to grow nationally and internation- ally to such an extent that Copeau planned to form a second troupe to tour the French provinces and carry the message of the Vieux-Colombier outside France during.the theatre season rather than merely during the summer. Despite successes in Paris, the balance sheet of the theatre usually showed a defi- cit, since the Vieux-Colombier could only accommodate a rela- tively small audience. Propositions to move tolarger quarters were turned down, Slnce the search for financial success cons ti- tuted in Copeau's mind a serious danger to the spirit of re- search which animate little theatres. In this spirit Copeau was flnally able to form offici ally in the adjunct to thetheatre,from which he felt renovation would emanate--the Ecole du Vieux-Colombier,to train young people, children if possible, in aIl aspects of true dramatic art. As Copeau devoted himself more and more to this aspect of his program, the on which the reputation of the Vieux-Colombier was based, became increàsingly hostile, in part justifiably as Copeau admitted in his Souvenirs du
Vieux-Colombier
lO•
In the face of dissension, personal fatigue,
9For the rep·ertory of the Vieux-Colombier in Paris and
in New York, see Appendix.
10 [paris] : Nouvelles Editions Latines, 1931, p. 97.
12 financial difficulties (although by no means insurmountable), the failure of his play, La Maison Natale, created in
1923, and the continuaI sapping of his creative energies, he
decided to suspend the activity of his theatre in 1924 and to retire to the country with a group of young students from the school to train them there and to reflect in peace on his art, as Stanislavsky had done. This period of Copeau's activity was, like those in Paris or in New York, not 'altogether serene or satisfactory. religious doubts which tormented him until his re-found faith in Catholicism in 1925 separated him from the exuberant youth about him. The beginnings of the illness which eventu- ally killed him added further strain to the accumulated fatigue of previous years, while financial difficulties continued to plague him and soon forced'him to reduce the number of students he could support. Those students who remained received a thor- ough training in their' and invaluable contact with a form of popular theatre in-their performances in a group known as Les Copiaus in the French' pr'ovinces or on tour in Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy or England. To supplement the limited revenue of these performances, Copeau'would travel far and wide to lecture 'or to give play-readings, to perform or direct in Paris or elsewhere (including,a presentation of his adaptation of Les Frères Karamazov in an English version which he directed for the Theatre Guild in New York in January, 1927).' 13 In 1928, a campaign was launched by a number of eminent Frenchmen to place Copeau at the head of the Comédie-Française. The prospect of success fluctuated" from great expectations, during which time Copeau separated himself from" the Copiaus (June, 1929), to eventual failure. From then on, his career is a variegated one with few secure and lasting appointments and many brief engagements to direct a single play for a number of theatres, which Copeau accepted in order to survive rather than because of the artistic p"romise of the play or the troupe. Two appointments consecrated the esteem in which Copeau and his teachings were held in and outside of France: first as professor at the Belgian National Conservatory (October, 1932-September,
1933) and then in 1936 as director at the Comédie-Française
1l under Edouard Bourdet, w.ho also engaged Louis Jouvet, Charles Dullin and Gaston Baty as directors. When Bourdet was injured in 1940, Copeau was appointed temporary administrator, a post he was obliged to relinquish ten months later when he refused to compromise with theoccupying Germans. During his brief he was responsihle for adding to the repertory llCopeau directed at the Comédie-Française:
December 7, 1936 Molière Le Misanthrope
May 24, 1937 Racine J\ajazet
November 22, 1937 Mauriac Asmodée
November
21, 1938 R. Martin du Gard Le Testament du père Leleu
14 of the French national theatre three of the greatestsuccesses of the Vieux-Colombier, Vildrac's Le Paquebot Tenacity, Meri mée's Le Carrosse du Saint-Sacrement and Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and for engaging Jean-Louis Barrault in a new presenta- tion of Corneille's Le Cid. For the development of Copeau's artistic ideas, two experiences are capital during these years, his open-air pro- ductions at the May festivals in 1933 (Le Mistère de Santa Uliva in the cloister of Santa Croce) and in 1935 (Rino Alessi's Savonarola in the Piazza della Signoria). The necess- ity of blending the natural decor with the demands of the play was an exhilarating task for both Copeau and his assistant, André Barsacq. Less important was his production of Shakespeare's 'As You Like It in the Boboli gardens in 1938. For his financial security, Copeau continued to give lectures and dramatic read- ings of high quality, was dramatic critic for the Nouvelles Littéraires from November, 1933 until June, 1934, appeared in a number of films and on occasion directed plays at a variety of Paris theatres with only limited sucoess. 12
12Henri Jeanne (Ttéâtre des Nouveautés, Nov-
ember
9, 1932); Igor Stravinsky, Perséphone (ballet, Opéra,
April 30, 1934); Shakespeare (ad. Jules Delacre), As ,You Like It (Théâtre de l'Atelier, October Il, 1934); Shakespeare (ad. 1 Jean Sarment), Much Ado About Nothing (Théâtre de la Madeleine, March 7, 1936); Paul Raynal" Na]oléon Unique (Théâtre de la, 15 After leaving the Comédie-Française in'1941, Copeau lived in virtual retirement at his country-home in Pernand-
Vergelesses, reflecting, writing on the theatre
13 , adapting or creating 14 , with only a single production, an outdoor presenta- tion of his adaptation of a medieval mystery play, Le Miracle du Pain Doré, in July, 1943 to commemorate the 500th anniver- sary of the founding of the Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune, where Copeau died six years later on October 20, 1949, leaving a legion of theatre personnel his debtors. Porte Saint-Martin, October, 1936); André Obey, Le Trompeur de Séville (Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin).
13Le Théâtre populaire. Paris: Presses universitaires
de France, 1941.
14A last play, Le Petit Pauvre (François d'AsSise),
was completed in 1942 and published four years later([paris]: Gallimard,[1946]) but not performed until after Copeau's death, in the summer of 1950 in the cloister of San Miniato in Flor- ence under the direction of Orazio Costa, who produced the play as a homage to the mas ter of the modern stage.
II. Copeau the cri tic
The conditions in the French theatre, against which ,Jacques Copeau reacted first as dramatic critic and then as theatre director, are difficult to imagine from the modern per spectiv'e, as Béatrix Dussane described in her NQtes de théâtre: "La génération théâtrale actuelle risque d'être ingrate pour ' Copeau, justement parce qu'elle est nourrie de ce qui est sorti de lui, et que, pratiquement, rien ne subsiste de ce qu'il aquotesdbs_dbs8.pdfusesText_14
Les Frères Karamazov - samizdat