Zoom in on Huis Clos, one of the most popular plays of the moment!
Huis Clos is an emblematic play written by Jean-Paul Sartre, one of the great writers and philosophers of the 20th century, part of the existentialist literary movement. Performed for the first time in 1944, this theatrical work is a closed session both by its name and by its scenario, which takes place only in a room in which three characters, Garcin, Inès and Estelle, find themselves at the moment of their death.
Quickly, the reader and viewer realize that the protagonists are not doomed to a traditional hell, with physical torments and external executioners, but rather to a psychological hell , where each is in fact the executioner of the others. They are confronted with their own past actions and the judgments of their peers…
“Huis Clos”, a timeless play
Timeless, Huis Clos seems today, as much as it did almost 80 years ago, still as impactful and strikingly true. At first sight complex, it is in fact the simple reflection of the human being who, through his existence , persists in hating in others what he himself is incapable of managing, seeing, regulating or accepting. .
This is where the famous adage “Hell is other people”, long controversial because it was misinterpreted, finds its origin. Indeed, it is in this piece that the author expresses the idea that our social interactions and our perception of ourselves are often defined by the gaze of others.
“I mean that if relationships with others are twisted, vitiated, then the other can only be hell. For what ? Because others are, ultimately, what is most important in ourselves, for our own knowledge of ourselves. [...] Whatever I say about myself, always the judgment of others enters into it. Whatever I feel about myself, the judgment of others enters into it. Which means that, if my relationships are bad, I put myself in total dependence on others and then, in effect, I am in hell.” (Jean-Paul Sartre in Interview with Moshe Naïm in 1964)
Huis Clos is performed at the Laurette Théâtre!
If you wish to (re)immerse yourself in the world of Huis Clos , a major play by Jean-Paul Sartre, Karine Kadi awaits you accompanied by her actors in our theater room to present this work to you. Performed on our stages, it allows you to have in front of you the incarnation of the three characters respectively played by Sebastian Barrio, Karine Battaglia and Laurence Meini.
For 1h30, reconnect to the depths of your soul so that you too can see and understand what you perceive of yourself in others... What is your hell? What is this executioner that you inflict on yourself? Without judging others, without judging yourself either, open the doors to a better understanding of your existence.
When to see this play?
This piece by Jean-Paul Sartre can be read and reread, seen and seen again, without requiring a special occasion. You can choose to attend one or two performances so as not to let yourself be too absorbed or even overwhelmed by the themes covered, just as you can choose to invite yourself to our theater room as soon as you wish, as much as you want, to try to to gain additional insight into the work but also into the staging, the acting, the decor, the stage movements, etc. Like any work, it can only do good...
A play certainly important in the career of the author but also in the history of French literature, Huis Clos is an intense exploration of human nature, offering a vision of the human condition, of freedom and the responsibility of each facing the foundations of existence.
Book your ticket at our ticket office, at the usual points of sale or directly from our website!
See you every Friday at 9 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m., from January 26 to May 19, 2024*!
*The play will not be performed on May 10 and 12, 2024
