Le Mariage forcé (The Forced Marriage) inverts the conventions of a patriarchal society by portraying a shameless coquette with a highly modern attitude: far from the innocence of Agnès in The School for Wives, Dorimène sees her alliance with Sganarelle as the promise of a wealthy life lived independently, especially in terms of conjugal relationships. The subject of the farce is this man in his old age, a naive bourgeois who is disconcerted by the libertarian discourse of the woman he thought he could dominate, and who hastily and vainly consults philosophers, bohemians, and magicians in order to be reassured about his marriage, which is to be celebrated that very evening.
Louis Arene knows the Comédie-Française well; after four years as a pensionnaire, he left in 2016 to devote himself to his company, Munstrum Théâtre. This masked theatre aficionado tackles an utterly modern, feminist-leaning Molière play, which subverts the usual codes of patriarchal society by depicting a young, predatory bride-to-be striving to put an end to male domination. The traditional couple and romantic relationships are cruelly yet gleefully distorted in this production bearing an exceptional dreamlike and pictorial dimension. After a Studio-Théâtre premiere and French tour, the show is performed for the first time at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier before leaving for a new tour throughout France.

This show premiered on May 26, 2022 at the Studio-Théâtre

Recommended for ages 15 and up

With the sponsorship of Sidas-Podiatech

ON TOUR
FRANCE
NOV > DEC 25

Director and masks: Louis Arene
Dramaturgy: Laurent Muhleisen
Scenography: Éric Ruf and Louis Arene
Costumes: Colombe Lauriot Prévost
Lighting: François Menou
Sound: Jean Thévenin
Artistic collaboration: Lionel Lingelser
Assistant director: Emilie Lacoste
Assistant scenography: Auriane Robert
Assistant costumes: Caroline Trossevin

and
François de Brauer: Dorimène et Marphurius