Based on Marguerite Duras’ 1985 text The War: A Memoir, this performance recounts the anguish of a woman awaiting her husband’s return from the Dachau concentration camp. In 1945, as the globe celebrated an end to World War II, Duras (1914-1996) was despondent; her husband remained missing, and she had no idea if he was dead or alive.
French actress Dominique Blanc reprises her 2010 Molière Best Actress Award-winning role in this wrenching performance. Re-staged by Patrice Chéreau (Jahrhundertring) with choreography by Thierry Thieû Niang (Une jeune fille de 90 ans), La Douleur is resonant with Duras’ physical and psychological turmoil throughout WWII. The adaptation echoes the simplicity and intensity of Duras’ writing.
