A closer look at Huis Clos, one of the most popular plays of the moment!
No Exit is an iconic play written by Jean-Paul Sartre, one of the great writers and philosophers of the 20th century, belonging to the existentialist literary movement. First performed in 1944, this theatrical work is a closed-room drama both in its title and its plot, which takes place entirely within the room in which three characters, Garcin, Inès, and Estelle, find themselves at the moment of their death.
The reader and viewer quickly realize that the protagonists are not condemned to a traditional hell, with physical torment 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…
“No Exit”, a timeless play
Timeless, No Exit seems today, as much as it did almost 80 years ago, just as powerful and strikingly true. While seemingly complex at first glance, it is in fact a simple reflection of human nature, which, throughout its existence , persists in hating in others what it is itself incapable of managing, seeing, resolving, or accepting.
This is where the famous adage "Hell is other people," long controversial due to misinterpretation, originates. Indeed, it is in this play that the author expresses the idea that our social interactions and our self-perception are often defined by the gaze of others.
“I mean that if our relationships with others are twisted, corrupted, then the other can only be hell. Why? Because others are, fundamentally, what is most important within ourselves, for our own self-knowledge. [...] Whatever I say about myself, the judgment of others always enters into it. Whatever I feel about myself, the judgment of others enters into it. Which means that, if my relationships are bad, I place myself in total dependence on others and then, indeed, I am in hell.” (Jean-Paul Sartre in Interview with Moshe Naim in 1964)
Huis Clos is playing at the Laurette Theatre!
If you'd like to (re)immerse yourself in the world of No Exit , Jean-Paul Sartre's major play, Karine Kadi and her actors await you in our theatre to present this work. Performed on our stage, it offers the opportunity to see the three characters embodied by Sebastian Barrio, Karine Battaglia, and Laurence Meini.
For 1 hour and 30 minutes, reconnect with the depths of your soul so that you too can see and understand what you perceive in others… What is your personal hell? What is this self-inflicted tormentor? Without judging others, and without judging yourself either, open the doors to a better understanding of your existence.
When should I go see this play?
This play by Jean-Paul Sartre can be read and reread, seen and reviewed, without requiring a special occasion. You can choose to attend only one or two performances to avoid being too deeply immersed or even overwhelmed by the themes explored, or you can choose to visit our theater whenever you wish, as often as you like, to gain further insights into the work itself, as well as the staging, the actors' performances, the set design, the stage movements, and so on. Like any good work of art, it can only do you good…
A play that is certainly important in the author's career 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 of each person's responsibility in the face of the foundations of existence.
Book your ticket at our ticket office, at usual points of sale or directly from our website!
Join us every Friday at 9pm and Sunday at 5pm, from January 26th to May 19th, 2024*!
*The play will not be performed on May 10 and 12, 2024
