ABSTRACT
After a survey of Mephisto (Méphisto ou le roman d’une carrière, 1979), Mnouchkine’s adaptation of the Klaus Mann novel, which shows what havoc an artist’s collusion with repressive forces can wreak, this chapter dwells on The Shakespeare Cycle, a project that brings to the fore Mnouchkine’s fascination with Asian theatrical styles. Her own early travels in Asia, her familiarity with Asian forms through the productions at the Théâtre des Nations and the great Japanese films of Kurosawa and Mizoguchi, have haunted her imaginary from her beginnings as a theatre maker. Here, we see (through description and myriad production shots) the Soleil’s remarkable ability to adapt and transform these styles to give startling new life to Shakespeare. Richard II (1981) combines extraordinary physical prowess (leaps, massed choreographic formations, centaur-like images) with costumes featuring kimono sleeves and Renaissance ruffs. Twelfth Night (1982) uses bharata natyam dance movements to inscribe on-stage the melancholy of love; Henry IV: Part I (1984) uses Balinese masks or mask-like make-up to externalize the inner worlds of the characters. This chapter provides a solid explanation of Mnouchkine’s training techniques and an assessment of the critical role the musician Jean-Jacques Lemêtre will play henceforth in the Soleil’s productions.
