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A Yellow Butterfly Called Sphinx

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A Yellow Butterfly Called Sphinx is an epistolary drama by the French playwright Christian Palustran, which was first staged by Patrick Schoenstein, in Nancy, France, Caveau de la Roëlle, in 1988.[1]

Synopsis edit

The work consists of 33 letters. They are divided into three parts which correspond to the three terms of the school year.

A unknown student writes to her class math teacher, asking her about a math question concerning "infinity". The student signs with the alias X, and asks her to slip her answer into the pile of corrected homework that she is passing around. At first, she is very reluctant. However, she gradually takes pleasure in this correspondence.

She confides about her discipline problems with the class; about the anti-depressive treatment she takes, about her personal life, and why she no longer wears on her jacket a yellow butterfly-shaped brooch.

She comes to multiply the homework to increase their correspondence. This gets her into trouble with parents and management. In short, she is under the influence of X who, feeling this, at times remains voluntarily silent. Unable to take it any longer, she asks him to reveal himself.

Analysis edit

In writing the story, Christian Palustran said that he challenged himself "to write a drama made only of letters, with emotions and twists, which keep the spectator in suspense ...".[2] But according to a review in the newspaper L 'Est Républicain, it felt as if "it's not really a drama. One could almost say that it is a question of an epistolary police investigation".[3] Arielle Gondonneau in the magazine Vivre à Yvetôt saw the play as "an intimate drama in which the troubled and complicated feelings of adolescence flow, torn between revolt and mad love, between desperation, disguised as modesty, and cynical arrogance..."[4] The work judges neither the teacher nor the student. It simply recounts how their letters will turn their lives upside down.

History edit

This work represented France in 1988 at the IATA Estivades in Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium.[5]

In 1990, it was performed in Charleroi, Belgium and at the Spanish University Festival in Valladolid by the Théâtre du Belvédère,[6] in 1991 at the National French Drama Centre for Youth in Lille (CDEJ)[7] in a staging by François Gérard.

It was staged in various cities of France[8][9][10] and in particular in Paris, Espace Beaujon, in 2013, directed by Nadine Hermet,[2] and in Chartres.[11]

The work has been translated and performed in various languages and countries: in 2003, in Romania, Baïa Mare Theater, directed by Gavril Pinte[12] and in 2006, in the United States (New York City, New Loft Ensemble, 13th Street Repertory Theatre), directed by Josh Edelman.[13]

It was published in a trilingual English-French-Italian edition[14] and is among the plays selected to represent contemporary French theater in the book Directory of Contemporary French-Language Theater by Claude Confortès.[15]

It was also transcribed into braille.[16]

Publications and translations edit

  • Un papillon jaune appelé Sphinx, A Yellow Butterfly called Sphinx, Una farfalla gialla chiamata Sfinge, La Fontaine, 2002, ISBN 2-907846-64-7. Trilingual edition in French, English and Italian. [14]

Bibliography edit

  • Confortès, Claude (2000). Répertoire du théâtre contemporain de langue française (in French). Paris (France): Nathan. p. 294. ISBN 2-09-190192-X.

References edit

  1. ^ "Première du Papillon jaune appelé Sphinx. Au-delà des sentiers battus: une pièce tout en demi-teinte avec un sourire au bout de la plume" [Premiere of the Yellow Butterfly called Sphinx. Beyond the beaten track: a very subtle play with a smile at the tip of the pen]. L'Est Républicain n° 33236 (in French). 31 October 1988.
  2. ^ a b "A Yellow Butterfly Called Sphinx, trailer and video" [Un papillon jaune appelé Sphinx, bande-annonce et vidéo]. Théâtre contemporain.net (in French). May 2013.
  3. ^ "Un papillon jaune appelé Sphinx: ce n'est pas vraiment un drame. On pourrait presque dire qu'il s'agit d'une enquête policière épistolaire tant le suspense est bien ménagé par l'auteur" [A Yellow Butterfly Called Sphinx: 'It's not really a drama.One could almost say that it is a question of a police epistolary investigation, so well is the suspense managed by the author.]. L'Est républicain (in French). 31 October 1988.
  4. ^  (FR) Arielle Gondonneau, Un papillon jaune appelé Sphinx (A Yellow Butterfly called Sphinx) in Vivre à Yvetot, magazine July 1994. "Un drame intime où coulent les sentiments troubles et compliqués de l'adolescence, tiraillés entre révolte et amour fou, entre désespoir, déguisé en pudeur, et arrogance cynique... (An intimate drama in which the troubled and complicated feelings of adolescence flow, torn between revolt and mad love, between desperation, disguised as modesty, and cynical arrogance..."
  5. ^ "Les compagnons de la Roelle de Villers-lès-Nancy (France )présentent Un papillon jaune appelé Sphinx de Christian Palustran page 2" [Les Compagnons de la Roelle from Villers-lès-Nancy(France) present A Yellow Butterfly called Sphinx by Christian Palustran] (PDF). Estivades Infos (in French). 8 August 1988.
  6. ^ "Le Théâtre du Belvédère invité au Festival Universitaire Espagnol" [The Bélvédère Théâtre invited to the Spanish University Festival]. Le Rappel (in French). 21–22 April 1990.
  7. ^ Un papillon jaune appelé Sphinx (in French, English, and Italian) (2nded.). Lille (FRANCE): LA FONTAINE. 2002..page 3: « ...a été créé au Centre Dramatique pour L'Enfance et la Jeunesse de Lille en 1991 dans une mise en scène de François Gérard, avec Janine Masingue et F. Gérard » (“...was created at the Drama Center for Children and Youth in Lille in 1991, directed by François Gérard, with Janine Masingue and F. Gérard”). ISBN 2-907846-64-7.
  8. ^ "Le doublé des Explorateurs" [The doubled performance of the Explorers Company]. Sud-Ouest (in French). 20 June 1990.
  9. ^ "Folles vacances et beau papillon: suspense et rebondissements sous-tendent l'action, mais c'est l'émotion qui est privilégiée" [Crazy holidays and beautiful butterfly: suspense and twists underlie the action, but it is the emotion which is privileged]. Paris-Normandie (in French). France. 5 December 1992.
  10. ^ "Le Théâtre en Face applaudi à Yvetôt" [The Théâtre en Face company applauded in Yvetôt]. Vivre à Yvetôt, 16 July 1996 (in French). France.
  11. ^ "Un papillon jaune appelé Sphinx". La Vaillante (Mainvilliers–Chartres). June 2009.
  12. ^ "Teatru: cocktail fara... plump:. Semicentenarul Teatrului Municipal din Baia-Mare" [Theater: A lead-free... cocktail. Semi-centenary of the Baia-Mare Municipal Theater]. Observatore Cultural (in Romanian). Bucharest (Romania). 15 April 2003.
  13. ^ "A Yellow Butterfly called Sphinx: about this show". Theatermania, New-York. 24 July 2006.
  14. ^ a b Un papillon jaune appelé sphynx - Christian Palustran - La Fontaine - Grand format - Librairie Gallimard PARIS (in French).
  15. ^ Confortès, Claude (2000). Répertoire du théâtre contemporain de langue française (in French). Paris (France): Nathan. p. 294. ISBN 2-09-190192-X.
  16. ^ Journal de François https://www.journaldefrancois.fr/theatre-le-papillon-jaune-appele-sphinx-de-christian-palustran.htm ...Un petit événement car cette pièce a été transcrite en braille (A kind of event because this piece has been transcribed into braille)
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