Staging the Psyche: Representing the "Other Scene" in the Theaterof Michel Tremblay, Marie NDiaye and Wajdi Mouawad Public

Abstract

This dissertation examines the possibilities of and the meaning of theater in the wake of the discovery of the unconscious. By exploring the ways in which three contemporary Francophone authors have created innovative and evocative theatrical representations of the dramas that unfold in the mind, it contributes to the discussion of several questions. How does our contemporary understanding of the unconscious change the ways in which playwrights use theatrical space? What is the function of theater for the spectator and for society, most particularly in the contemporary French and Francophone context? Why does theater still attract spectators despite the fact that contemporary visual culture offers numerous other creative outlets both for spectators and artists?

The first chapter explores the theoretical links between psychoanalysis and theater via a discussion of shared terms and an analysis of the theatrical metaphors that have been present in psychoanalytic discourse since its origins with Freud. The subsequent chapters analyze three playwrights who have integrated the concept of psychic space into their writings, using the theatrical space to stage metaphors for the otherwise invisible actions of the mind. Chapter two discusses two plays by Québécois playwright Michel Tremblay, À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou and Le vrai monde?, arguing that the use of mise en abyme structures demonstrates metaphorically the ways in which Tremblay's characters experience psychic distress. Chapter three addresses French playwright Marie NDiaye's first theatrical work, Hilda. It argues that the absence of the title character from the stage becomes a metaphor for the destructive fantasy structure that removes her from her own life. The final chapter analyzes the embodiments of dreams on the stage in Lebanese-Québécois playwright Wajdi Mouawad's Littoral. Charting the trajectory of the play's main character, Wilfrid, from living within his own mind to living within the world, it points to the necessity of the encounter with "the other" in order to come to an understanding of the self.

By representing both directly and metaphorically the disastrous effects of unconscious living, Tremblay, Ndiaye and Mouawad plead for conscious recognition of the unconscious structures that can govern our lives.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents:

Introduction....1 Chapter 1: On Theaters and the Mind...16 Chapter 2: Michel Tremblay: Staging the "Other Scene"...35 Chapter 3: Theaters of the Mind in Marie NDiaye's Hilda...85 Chapter 4: Dream(e)scapes and "l'irruption de l'autre" in Wajdi Mouawad's Littoral ...126 Conclusion(s)...173 Bibliography...179

About this Dissertation

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School	Laney Graduate School
Department	French
Degree	PhD
Submission	Dissertation
Language	English
Research Field	Literature, Romance Literature, Canadian (French)
Mot-clé	Contemporary French Theater Quebecois Theater Contemporary Theater Psychoanalysis
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Marder, Elissa, Emory University
Committee Members	Bident, Christophe, University of Paris-X Loichot, Valerie, Emory University Benston, Alice N, Emory University Bonnefis, Philippe, Emory University

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