The Lark (play)
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The Lark (French: L'Alouette) is a 1952 play about Joan of Arc by the French playwright Jean Anouilh. . It was first presented at the Théâtre Montparnasse, Paris in October 1953. Translated into English by Christopher Fry in 1955, it was then adapted by Lillian Hellman for the Broadway production in the same year.
The play premiered in Boston at the
The two stars of the play reprised their roles in a 1957 television production of the play, as part of the anthology series Hallmark Hall of Fame. In November 1956, the BBC screened their version, with Hazel Penwarden as Joan, and a supporting cast including Michael Caine.[2] A different television adaptation aired in 1958 in Australia.[3]
The first English adaptation of the play was by
Synopsis
Essentially a play within a play, Joan reenacts key moments of her life throughout a trial. The play presents the trial, condemnation, and execution of Joan, but has an unusual ending. Remembering the important events in her life throughout her questioning, Joan is subsequently condemned to death. However, Cauchon realizes, just as Joan is burning at the stake, that in her judges' hurry to condemn her, they have not allowed her to re-live the coronation of Charles VII of France. The fire is therefore extinguished, and Joan is given a reprieve. The actual end of the "story" is left in question, but Cauchon proclaims it a victory for Joan.
Adaptation and style
William Becker, in his article "Some French Plays in Translation", writes, "As a practical matter, the art of translation for the theatre is analogous to the art of directing, and involves many similar problems. Both are, in the last analysis, interpretive or critical functions."[6]
Brooks Atkinson, in his New York Times review, described Christopher Frye’s adaptation as; "intellectual attitude" and Lillian Hellman’s, with "solid strength in the theatre." Further: "It is still basically intellectual, the work of a French dramatist who likes to reason his way through a sacred mystery." Invariably, comparison is made to the George Bernard Shaw play, Saint Joan, with Shaw’s work viewed through the lens of a "political philosopher" and Anouilh’s play examined with "detachment" and "intellectual reverie."[7]
John Chapman, writing in the New York Daily News noted that the play "is always the story of a simple girl who became an inspired warrior and then was tried by the church – but there have been several ways of telling it. Anouilh's way, and Miss Hellman's, is to try to tell the story from two viewpoints. One of them is how we look at the tale now as a piece of history, with our knowledge of how the girl's blundering captors unwittingly created a martyr who became forever a symbol of courage and faith. The other viewpoint has been to try to imagine what it must have been like to be Joan herself. Both approaches to this legend of the Martyr of Rouen have been splendidly realized by the technique of divorcing the drama from the confinements of time."[8]
1955 Broadway production
Opening night cast
Role | Actor |
---|---|
Warwick | Christopher Plummer |
Cauchon | Boris Karloff |
Joan | Julie Harris |
Her Father | Ward Costello |
Mother | Lois Holmes |
Brother | John Reese |
The Promoter | Roger de Koven |
The Inquisitor | Joseph Wiseman |
Brother Ladvenu | Michael Higgins |
Robert de Beaudricourt | Theodore Bikel |
Agnes Sorel | Ann Hillary |
The Young Queen | Joan Elan |
The Dauphin | Paul Roebling |
Queen Yolande | Rita Vale |
Archbishop of Rheims | Richard Nicholls |
Captain La Hire | Bruce Gordon |
Executioner | Ralph Roberts |
English Soldier | Ed Knight |
Revivals
The York Theatre Company presented the Anouilh/Hellman play in 1989 at the Church of the Heavenly Rest, New York, NY. The production was directed by Janet Hayes Walker with Ann Dowd as Joan.[9]
Cesear’s Forum, Cleveland’s
The Promethean Theatre Ensemble at the
Critical reception
Cyrus Durgin in the
Linda Eisenstein writes of the 2004 Cleveland production, "Buried in this talky production are speeches and ideas that ring with a chilling topical resonance." Here, Joan is "haunted." "Unfortunately, most of the performers resort to declaiming their philosophical speeches."[15] Christine Howey in Cleveland Scene writes: "Blending two adaptations of the original script by Christopher Fry and Lillian Hellman, director Greg Cesear attempts to capture a fresh perspective on the intersection of politics and morality…Joan's confounding qualities of insolent confidence and devout humility are portrayed convincingly by chisel-jawed Laura Borgione (even though this actor's adolescent years are disappearing rapidly in the rearview mirror)."[16]
At the Statford Festival in 2005, there was some thrilling to the "star turn" of Amanda Plummer and the historical link with her father Christopher to the play, rather than the age of the "mercurial" 48 year old actress. She had worked previously with Director Lindsay-Hogg on the Broadway production of Agnes of God.[17] As Joan, her performance was "radiating both determination and innocence."[18] However, Christopher Hoile took issue with setting the play in World War II Nazi-occupied Paris. He writes: "Anouilh knew that France had no Joan of Arc to defend its lands in World War II and, worse, had a government that collaborated with the Nazis." Further, "The 1943 setting also means that Joan becomes merely ‘a female resistance fighter’ as the programme calls her which hardly accords with all the special attention she is granted."[19]
The Promethean Theatre 2014 production (the Hellman adaptation) received praise from Tom Williams in Chicago Critic: "In the black box theatre, the play has been skillfully produced on the minimal set." "The lead Aila Peck (Joan) brings an incredible emotion and intensity to the role."[20]
1958 Australian TV adaptation
The play was
Festival
The play was included in the third season of Festival, a Canadian entertainment anthology television series.
Awards and honors
Original Broadway production
Year | Award ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1956 | Tony Award
|
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play | Boris Karloff | Nominated |
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play | Julie Harris
|
Won | ||
Best Director | Joseph Anthony | Nominated | ||
Best Scenic Design | Jo Mielziner | Nominated | ||
Best Costume Design | Alvin Colt | Nominated |
References
- Newspapers.com..
- ^ McLennan, Jim (2022-11-03). "Review: The Lark". Girls With Guns. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ "The Lark (TV Movie 1958) - IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ "Production of The Lark | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ "Production of The Lark | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ISSN 0018-702X.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ "The Lark by Jean Anouilh, adapted by Lillian Hellman". Biz Books. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ Howey, Christine. "Stake Fry". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ Ouzounian, Richard (2005-08-18). "The Lark". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ Williams, Tom (2014-02-07). "The Lark". Theatre reviews. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- Newspapers.com.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ "Taking Care Of Business | CoolCleveland". coolcleveland.com. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ Howey, Christine. "Stake Fry". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ "Amanda Plummer's elliptical journey". The Globe and Mail. 2005-08-17. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ "On a Lark - TheaterMania.com". 2005-08-26. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ "Review - The Lark - Stratford Festival - Christopher Hoile". www.stage-door.com. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ Williams, Tom (2014-02-07). "The Lark". Chicago Critic. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
External links