Jean Anouilh (1910–1987)

Author of Antigone

157+ Works 5,107 Members 57 Reviews 11 Favorited

About the Author

Jean Anouilh was born on June 23, 1910, in France. Anouilh studied law as a teenager and worked briefly in advertising. He soon became aware of his strong attraction to the theatre and became one of France's foremost playwrights and screenwriters. Anouilh's works are noted for their theatrical show more conventions. His plays, many of which are bleak dramas, feature characters facing highly moral dilemmas. He uses such conventions as flashbacks, role reversals, and play-within-a-play to achieve dramatic effects. Anouilh received a New York Drama Critics Circle Award for his play Waltz of the Toreadors and a Tony award for Thieves Carnival. Other well-known works include Antigone, Eurydice and the film Pattes Blanches. Anouilh suffered a heart attack and died in 1987. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Includes the names: Anouilh J., J. ANOUILH, Anouilh Jean, Жан Ануй, Жан Ануй

Image credit: Jean Anouilh en 1968

Series

Plays-Jean Anouilh-Mermaid

Plays-Jean Anouilh-Methuen

Collected Plays-JeanAnouilh

Works by Jean Anouilh

Popular Recent

Antigone (1944) — Author — 1,426 copies, 16 reviews

Becket (1961) — Author — 963 copies, 16 reviews

The Lark (1952) — Author — 367 copies, 4 reviews

Antigone / Eurydice / The Ermine / The Rehearsal / Romeo and Jeannette (1958) 335 copies, 1 review

Traveller Without Luggage / Thieves' Carnival (1961) — Author — 210 copies, 2 reviews

Methuen Student Editions : Anouilh : Antigone {Bray} (2000) — Author — 168 copies

Ring Round the Moon (1948) — Author — 121 copies, 1 review

The Rehearsal (1950) 86 copies

Traveller Without Luggage (1973) 84 copies

The Waltz of the Toreadors (1953) — Author — 76 copies, 1 review

Ardele / The Lark / Restless Heart / Time Remembered / Mademoiselle Colombe (1959) 67 copies, 1 review

Thieves' Carnival: A Play in Four Parts (1952) — Author — 62 copies

Three European Plays (1958) — Contributor — 61 copies

Mademoiselle Colombe (1954) 59 copies, 1 review

Restless Heart / Ring Round the Moon (1972) — Author — 56 copies

Antigone / Léocadia / The Waltz of the Toreador / The Lark / Poor Bitos (1987) 50 copies

Time Remembered (1942) 45 copies

Les Poissons rouges (1972) 42 copies, 2 reviews

Antigone (Excerpts) (1968) 39 copies

Medea (1946) — Author — 38 copies, 1 review

It's Later Than You Think (1958) 34 copies, 1 review

Anna Karenina [1948 film] (1948) — Writer — 33 copies

Plays — Author — 33 copies

Fables (1962) 30 copies

The Cavern (1969) — Author — 29 copies, 2 reviews

Medea / The Orchestra / Thieves' Carnival / Catch as Catch Can / Traveler Without Luggage / Episode in the Life of an… (1967) 28 copies

Poor Bitos; or, The Masked Dinner (1956) — Author — 27 copies, 1 review

Dinner with the Family / Time Remembered (1973) — Author — 27 copies

Monsieur Vincent [1947 film] (1947) — Screenwriter — 24 copies, 1 review

Dear Antoine; or, The Love That Failed (1971) — Author — 23 copies

Eurydice (1968) 22 copies

The Fighting Cock (1959) — Author — 19 copies, 1 review

Ardele: a Play in Three Acts (1998) 19 copies

Eurydice / Romeo and Jeannette (1980) 18 copies

The Ermine / Restless Heart / Traveller Without Luggage / Eurydice (2008) 17 copies

Antigone. Variazioni sul mito (2000) — Contributor — 17 copies

Ring Round the Moon / Mademoiselle Colombe / The Rehearsal / Cecile, or The School for Fathers (1951) 15 copies

Dinner with the Family: A Play in Three Acts (1962) — Author — 14 copies

Antigone / Becket, or The Honor of God (1992) 11 copies

The Rehearsal / Becket / Eurydice / The Orchestra (1997) 11 copies

Restless Heart (1934) — Author — 11 copies, 1 review

Ardele / The Waltz of the Toreadors / It's Later Than You Think / Poor Bitos (1956) — Author — 11 copies

Thieves' Carnival / Dinner with the Family / Time Remembered (1945) 10 copies

Antigone / Eurydice (1952) 9 copies

Antigone / Jezabel (2004) 9 copies

Le scénario (1984) 9 copies

Nouvelles pièces noires: Jezabel; Antigone; Romeo et Jeanette; Medee (1947) 9 copies

The Arrest (1986) 8 copies

Ne réveillez pas madame ... (1970) 8 copies

Humulus le muet / Thieves' Carnival / Dinner with the Family / Time Remembered (2008) 8 copies

Oedipe ou Le Roi boiteux (1986) 8 copies

La Culotte (1985) 7 copies

Cécile ou L'école des pères (1954) 7 copies

La Vicomtesse d'Eristal n'a pas reçu son balai mécanique : souvenirs d'un jeune homme (1987) 6 copies

Pieces Costumees (1953) 6 copies

Ardele / The Waltz of the Toreadors (1970) — Author — 5 copies, 1 review

La belle vie (1980) 5 copies

Romeo and Jeannette (1965) 5 copies

Le Boulanger, la Boulangère et le Petit Mitron (1980) — Author — 5 copies

The Collected Plays, Volume I: The Ermine; Thieves' Carnival; Restless Heart; Traveller Without Luggage; Dinner with… (1966) 4 copies

Commedie amare e in costume 4 copies

Chers Zoiseaux (1997) 4 copies

Twentieth Century Texts : Jean Anouilh : L'Alouette (1990) — Author — 4 copies

Ardele / Poor Bitos (1965) 4 copies

Catch as Catch Can (1962) — Author — 4 copies

The Director of the Opera (1972) 4 copies

Number One: A Play (1985) 4 copies

Teatro 3 copies, 2 reviews

Humulus le muet / Thieves' Carnival (2010) 3 copies

Antigone / Becket / Ring Round the Moon / The Lark / Catch as Catch Can (1967) 3 copies

Dear Antoine; or, The Love That Failed / Ne réveillez pas Madame ... / The Director of the Opera (2008) 3 copies

Antigone, Jean Anouilh (1991) 3 copies

Catch as Catch Can / Cecile, or The School for Fathers (1979) 3 copies, 1 review

Romeo and Jeannette / Mademoiselle Colombe 3 copies

Thomas More ou L'homme libre (1987) — Author — 3 copies

Eurydice / Medea (1984) 3 copies

The Orchestra (1977) 2 copies

The Ermine 2 copies

The arrest : a drama in two acts (1978) 2 copies

Théâtre (Tome 2) (2007) 2 copies

Cécile, ou l'école des pères 2 copies

Théâtre (Tome 1) (2007) 2 copies

Omkring det absurde : franske enaktere og sketsjer 1945-1965 (2018) 2 copies

Monsieur Barnett, suivi de "L'Orchestre" (1982) 2 copies

The Lark / Becket / Catch as Catch Can 2 copies

Nouvelles Pièces Noires. Jézabel, Antigone, Roméo et Jeannette, Médée. 2 copies

Tu étais si gentil quand tu étais petit 2 copies

Théâtre (2007) 2 copies

Ring Round the Moon / Cecile, or The School for Fathers / Madame de ... (1971) — Author — 2 copies

Chers zoiseaux / La culotte / Episode in the Life of an Author / Number One (1984) 2 copies

Пьесы (1999) 2 copies

The Collected Plays, Volume II: Time Remembered; Point of Departure; Antigone; Romeo and Jeannette; Medea 1 copy

Bäcker, Bäckerin und Bäckerjunge eine Fabel 1 copy

Becket (Folio) (French Edition) by Jean Anouilh (1972-09-01) 1 copy

Dramen III: Jeanne oder Die Lerche. Ardele oder Das Gänseblümchen. Der Walzer der Toreros. A. d. Franz.… 1 copy

Medea - Skuespil i en akt 1 copy

Time Remembered (Playbill) [Vol 2 No 23] 1 copy

The Rehearsal (Playbill) [Vol 1 No 46] 1 copy

Becket (Playbill) [Vol 5 No 5] 1 copy

Teatro : Piezas rosas: El baile de los ladrones - La cita en Senlís - Laocadia 1 copy

Lærken : Skuespil i to akter 1 copy

Den forelskede kamphane 1 copy

Le Théâtre complet de Jean Anouilh 1 copy

Dramen. 4, [Ball der Diebe. Leocadia. Einladung ins Schlo . Ce cile] 1 copy

2 pièces brillantes c.1953 : /'Invitation au chateau - la Répétition ou l'amour puni 1 copy

Cher Antoine 1 copy

La ronde [1964 film] (1964) — Screenwriter — 1 copy

Four Contemporary French Plays 1 copy

La Répétition ou l'Amour puni, comédie. Avec une notice biographique, une notice historique… 1 copy

Nouvelles pièces grinçantes . L'Hurluberlu ou le Réactionnaire amoureux. La Grotte.… 1 copy

Le Boulanger, la boulangère et le petit mitron. [Paris, Comédie des Champs-Élysées, 13… 1 copy

Le Directeur de l'Opéra: [Paris, Comédie des Champs-Élysées-Claude Sainval, 27… 1 copy

Antigone (La Petite Vermillon) by Jean Anouilh (2005-02-01) 1 copy

Teatro di Anouilh 1 copy

Il valzer del toreador, di Jean Anouilh: [prima rappresentazione Roma, 16 aprile 1960] 1 copy

Shakespeare: Trois Comédies 1 copy

Thieves' Carnival / Dinner with the Family 1 copy

Les Otages [1939 film] (2005) — Writer — 1 copy

Go Ask Alice A Real Diary PB N (Paperback) - Common 1 copy

Μπέκετ ή η τιμή του Θεού 1 copy

El ensayo, o, El amor castigado 1 copy

Antigone: Annotations 1 copy

Dramen. 2, [Colombe. Die Probe oder die bestrafte Liebe. Der Herr Ornifle] 1 copy

Antigone Médée (Le Club français du livre) (1948) 1 copy

Becket l'alouette — Author — 1 copy

Restless Heart / Thieves' Carnival 1 copy

Le boulanger, la boulangère et le petit mitron - Suivi de Le vieil Ulysse (1969) — Author — 1 copy

Ard�le 1 copy

Ardele ou la marguerite, suivi de La valse des toréadors 1 copy

Five Plays Vol II - Restless Heart - Time Remembered - Adèle - Mademoiselle Colombe - The Lark 1 copy

Antigone / The Lark / Poor Bitos / The Waltz of the Toreadors / Ring Round the Moon (1973) 1 copy

The Ermine / Ardele / Mademoiselle Colombe / The Lark / It's Later Than You Think / Madame de ... / The Cavern 1 copy

BECKET - PLAYBILL - OCTOBER 17, 1960 - VOL. 4 - NO. 43 (1960) 1 copy

Le boulanger, la boulangère et le petit mitron / Becket, or The Honor of God / Dear Antoine; or, The Love That Failed (1970) 1 copy

Nouvelles pièces grinçantes 1 copy

The Collected Plays, Volumes I & II (1966) 1 copy

Vive Henri IV ! ou La Galigaï (2000) — Author — 1 copy

Drei Stücke 1 copy

Ardele and Colombe (1959) 1 copy

PIECES GRINCANTES.ARDELE OU LA MARGUERITE-LA VALSE DES TOREADORS-ORNIFLE OU LECOURANT D'AIR-PAUVRE BITOS OU LE… 1 copy

Point of Departure (Acting Edition) (1951) 1 copy

Jean Anouilh. Pièces brillantes : . L'Invitation au château. Colombe. La Répétition, ou… 1 copy

Jean Anouilh ...: Antigone ; Eurydice (Legend of lovers) ; The ermine ; The rehearsal ; Romeo and Jeanette 1 copy

Tu Etais Si Gentil Quand Tu Etais Petit (1973) 1 copy

Μήδεια - Ιέζαβελ 1 copy

Pièces secrètes (1974) 1 copy

Collected Plays: v. 2 (Time Remembered ~ Point of Departure ~ Antigone ~ Romeo and Jeannette ~ Medea) (1967) 1 copy

ANTIGONE (1983) 1 copy

Teatro 5 : piezas chirriantes — Author — 1 copy

Los peces rojos (1974) 1 copy

Nouvelles Pièces Noires: Jézabel, Antigone, Roméo et Jeannette, Médée 1 copy

Stücke. Hermelin, Ardèle oder das Gänseblümchen, Colombe, Jeanne und die Lerche, Der Herr Ornifle, Madame de...,… 1 copy

Pièces Noires. L'hermine, La sauvage, Le voyageur sans bagage, Eurydice 1 copy

L'Alouette. Edited by Merlin Thomas and Simon Lee 1 copy

Μήδεια: Σε μία πράξη. Ιεζαβέλ: Σε τρεις πράξεις (Médée. Jésabel); (Greek… — Author — 1 copy

Pobre Bitos o la cena de personajes / La feria de los sustos (1900) — Author — 1 copy

Жил-был каторжник 1 copy

Work Explorer

Associated Works

Becket [1964 film] (1964) — Play — 119 copies, 2 reviews

One Act: Eleven Short Plays of the Modern Theater (1961) — Contributor — 106 copies, 1 review

The Modern Theatre, Volume 3 (1955) — Contributor — 73 copies

Modern French Theatre (1966) — Contributor — 68 copies

Contemporary Drama - 11 Plays (1956) — Contributor — 48 copies

The Modern Theatre, Volume 5 (1957) — Contributor — 43 copies

A Treasury of the Theatre: From Henrik Ibsen to Eugène Ionesco (1963) — Contributor — 33 copies

Twenty best European plays on the American stage (1957) — Contributor — 28 copies

Best Plays of the Sixties (1970) — Contributor — 23 copies

Profil d'une œuvre. Antigone, Anouilh (1971) — Contributor — 16 copies

Tagged

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Common Knowledge

Canonical name: Anouilh, Jean
Legal name: Anouilh, Jean Marie Lucien Pierre
Birthdate: 1910-06-23
Date of death: 1987-10-03
Burial location: Cimetière communal, Pully, Vaud, Suisse
Gender: male
Nationality: France (birth)
Country (for map): France
Birthplace: Cérisole, Bordeaux, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Place of death: Lausanne, Switzerland
Cause of death: heart attack
Places of residence: Bordeaux, France
Education: University of Paris (law - not completed)
Lycée Chaptal
Occupations: playwright
screenwriter
advertising copywriter
director
Relationships: Anouilh, Caroline (daughter)
Organizations: Comédie des Champs-Élysées, Paris (Secrétaire général, 19 30
Agence de publicité Étienne Damour (Publicitaire, 19 28 | 19 30)
Grands Magasins du Louvre(Employé, 19 28)
Awards and honors: Prix mondial Cino Del Duca (1970)
Grand Prix du Théâtre de l'Académie française (1980)
Short biography: Jean Anouilh est un écrivain et dramaturge français né le 13 juin 1910 à Bordeaux et mort le 3 octobre 1987 à Lausanne, en Suisse. Dès le lycée, Jean Anouilh se découvre une passion pour le théâtre mais c'est une représentation de Siegried de Jean Giraudoux, en 1928, qui le décide à écrire pour le théâtre, une activité qu’il poursuivra durant la guerre et l’occupation allemande (Antigone, en 1942, souleva d’ailleurs une violente polémique quant à la supposée dimension politique de l'oeuvre). À partir de 1961, il s’est davantage tourné vers la mise en scène et a contribué à faire connaitre Samuel Beckett et Eugène Ionesco. Il s'est également occupé de l'adaptation de pièces de théâtre étrangères, notamment plusieurs de Shakespeare.

Les pièces d’Anouilh oscillent entre comédie et drame, qu'il a lui-même classées en différentes catégories selon leurs thèmes et leur esprit : Pièces roses, Pièces noires, Pièces brillantes, Pièces grinçantes, Pièces costumées, Pièces baroques, Pièces secrètes et Pièces farceuses. Dans son oeuvre théâtrale et dans ses comédies, l’humour y est féroce et le cynisme omniprésent. L’œuvre d’Anouilh est avant tout empreinte d’un pessimisme profond.

Members

Reviews

Becket, or the Honor of God by Jean Anouilh

3.5*

Great cast but I think that I liked the 1964 film with Richard Burton & Peter O'Toole based on this play better.

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leslie.98 | 15 other reviews | Jun 27, 2023 |

Antigone by Jean Anouilh

Read this French text while listening to an English-language audiobook. (translated by Christopher Nixon).

Luckily for me I got the audiobook as when I turned to the print edition I had checked out from the library, it turned out to be in French!! My French isn't good enough to have read this alone but was good enough to attempt reading it with the help of an English translation in audio :) It was an interesting experience! The L.A. TheatreWorks audiobook doesn't include stage directions so I would pause momentarily while I read these.

One thing that I noticed is that while Creon talks to Antigone in the familiar (tu), she responds to him in the formal (vous). This difference gives a spin to their relationship which cannot easily be duplicated in English.

Reading this knowing that it was written & first performed in Vichy France gives certain phrases and actions a special significance. However, even without that Anouilh's version of this story had some interesting twists to Sophocles' original. Creon is a more ambivalent character; he seems more reasonable, more caring and less stubborn than the one in either the Sophocles or Heaney versions. Antigone's relationships with Haemon (Creon's son) and her sister Ismene are both expanded but her motivation for her actions in this version is much more murky. By lessening the contrast between the 2 characters you would expect that the tension would be less but Anouilh manages to make their confrontation even more heartbreaking as it has overtones of a family feud (and of course, if you read into it Creon as the French colloborator acting for the Nazis and Antigone as the Resistance fighter, then the drama is heightened even further).
… (more)

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leslie.98 | 15 other reviews | Jun 27, 2023 |

Antigone by Jean Anouilh

Excellent full cast recording and the translation by Christopher Nixon was also very good.

I got this as a digital audiobook, not CDs

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leslie.98 | 15 other reviews | Jun 27, 2023 |

Becket by Jean Anouilh

The film is better but the play is still good. How amazing it would have been to see Laurence Olivier (Becket) and Anthony Quinn (the king) star in its 1960 opening on the New York stage!

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bibliothecarivs | 15 other reviews | Sep 17, 2021 |

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