The Captive
Édouard Bourdet
This groundbreaking 1926 French play was among the first Broadway plays to deal with lesbians. The protagonist Irène is a lesbian tortured by her love for Madame d’Aiguines Amazon France. Irene De Montcel struggles to come to terms with her love for a woman in a patriarchal, heterosexual world Éditions Lito. This is historically significant as one of the earliest theatrical works to explicitly portray lesbian relationships, though it caused such scandal that the cast was arrested during a performance and the play led to censorship laws (the Wales Padlock Act).
Details
| ISBN: |
| Genre: Fiction; Play; Vintage |
| Subject(s): French drama |
| Publication Date: 1926 |
| Original Date: |
| Publisher: Brentanos |
| Language: English |
| Format: Hardcover |
| Pages: 286 |
| Rating: |
| Notes: Historical Note: The play caused a scandal in New York City, was shut down after 160 performances with the cast arrested on stage, and prompted adoption of a state obscenity law banning depictions of homosexuality in theatres Amazon France. The violet flower became a lasting lesbian symbol from this play. This is an important historical work for your bibliography – despite its tragic portrayal (very much a product of 1926), it’s a landmark in lesbian theatrical representation. |
| Book_ID: 103273 |