Abstract
Secular popular theatre projects often employed the language of religion, aspiring towards a communion of actors and audiences, and attributing a priestly role to the poet, playwright, or director. At the same time, Catholic popular theatre held ambitious political goals—‘to preserve art, reform the state, and re-Christianize France’, in the words of the influential playwright and director, Henri Ghéon. Chapter 4 explores how Catholic popular theatre expanded its audiences beyond the faithful people, engaging with both mainstream audiences and mass spectacle in the interwar period. It explores how Henri Ghéon brought stories of sainthood to the Parisian stage; how Léon Chancerel created theatre for scouting groups while also aspiring to ‘national drama’; and how little-known working-class Catholic theatre borrowed techniques (and sometimes even militants) from Communist agit-prop.
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Wardhaugh, J. (2017). Beyond the Peuple Fidèle: Catholic Theatre and the Masses. In: Popular Theatre and Political Utopia in France, 1870—1940. Palgrave Studies in Theatre and Performance History. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59855-4_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59855-4_4
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Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-59854-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-59855-4
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