Description

All about SouthThis controversial play by Julien Green was published by Plon in 1953 and first performed at the Théâtre de l'Athénée-Louis-Jouvet on 6 March 1953, with Dominique Blanchar in the role of Regina.

Autograph letter signed to Dominique Blanchar, 2 pages in-8, autograph envelope:

12 September 1954,
Madame, I wasn't worried, but your letter touched me deeply and I thank you for it. And since I've been given the opportunity to write to you, I'm delighted to be able to tell you how much I admired you in the role of Agnès. I look forward to Regina with as much impatience as confidence. May you tip the scales in your favour! Her name was supposed to be Regina. That's how important the role was to me. There's been a sort of imbalance for a number of reasons, but I'm counting very much on your great talent and your presence to give Sud back its true physiognomy. The drama is not all on Lieutenant Ian's side. It is to an equal degree on Regina's side, for whom I have deliberately reserved the very last scene. I'm sure you'll want to see all this.
Thank you for accepting this role and, looking forward to seeing you, please accept, Madam, the expression of my best wishes. Julien Green.

22 original black photographs taken during the Sud tour in an envelope marked : "South, November - December 1954 / January - February 1955"..
Vintage silver print, format 125 x 175 mm.
16 photographs show the comedians performing the play at the Palais de la Méditerranée and bear the credit of the Photomic studio in Nice; 8 photographs show the cast gathered off stage.

 "I wrote this play as a reaction against a body of literature of uneven quality, dating back to around 1925, which I felt was spoiling a serious and noble subject by placing it almost entirely on the carnal plane". (preface)

The work was quickly banned in several countries and, when it was first performed in France in March 1953, attracted the wrath of many critics. "embarrassed by the staging of homosexuality".

Albert Camus defended Julien Green in a famous letter:

"Your slowness is necessary, your reticence is that of the subject, and the ambiguity of the dialogue, which I enjoyed above all, is that of the fate you depict. If your critics [...] had the slightest appreciation of artistic creation, they would have exalted the very thing they have been reluctant to see. And they would have realised, by way of example, that almost all Greek tragedies, Œdipe roi being the admirable example, are based on a fatal equivocation, echoed in the dialogue.

Nice outfit.