The Madwoman of Chaillot

by Jean Giraudoux

Book Overview

THE STORY: The play is a kind of poetic and comic fable set in the twilight zone of the not-quite-true. At the Cafe Chez Francis, a group of promoters plot to tear up Paris in order to unearth the oil which a prospector believes he has located in t

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0822207141
• ISBN13: 9780822207146
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Dramatists Play Service
• Length: 68 Pages
• Weight: 0.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.3" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Is it Madness or Reality?

I find "The Madwoman of Chaillot" contemporary and current. It describes the disillusions, falsness and corruption in a political world gone astray. Anyone who wants to understand the current situation of any government whether a democracy, a republic, a dictatorship, King, Czar, or madmen will identify with this play, and strive to undue the injustices that prevail throughout our modern 21st century world.

The Madwoman and The Oil Drillers

The Madwoman of Chaillot ( as portrayed by Katharine Hepburn in the movie version) is a two-act play about the destruction of the forces of evil by one older, senile woman - the Madwoman. A group of money-hungry corporation presidents team up with prospectors who claim to have found oil right beneath the streets of Paris's Chaillot suburb, and the Madwoman rallies her bohemian friends and neighbors to stop them from destroying the city. The play is very dramatic and also humorous in parts; it seems primarily a fantasy, but has several fantastic parts for female characters, among them the Madwoman and her group of eccentric, delightful fellow Madwomen. I recommend it highly to any group of adolescent/young adult actors who are looking for a challenge.

Although It's Been Many Years

I believe this is the play in which the role "Countess" appears...and if it is, I would like to write my opinion based upon performing in the role of Countess many years ago. This play is hysterical, entertaining, and a joy for those performing it as well as those seeing or reading it. It involves eccentric, rich old ladies who try to carry on with afternoon tea despite thier various quirky personalities(mainly quirky due to senility and the hallucinations that accompany it). A great play for adolescent through adult actors. It is worth having on your shelf if you instruct drama in any way.

Absurdist no. Humanistic yes.

Though this play is usually typed as absurdist, think of it, rather, as a record of the triumph of the human spirit in the tradition of Voltaire. This is just one more great example of the French literary tradition that began with Ronsard and his progenitors and continued too with Ionesco and Ayme. Vivre l'esprit humain!

The poetry, ideas, and absurdity are life-altering.

Perhaps one of the most effecting plays I've ever read or seen. Besides being an hellaciously good yarn, it's funny, exciting, and --yes, Absurd. It's at once damning in its sociology and cautionary in its philosophy. Read or see this play and your life will never be the same; it helped me discover who I really am.