"Acting as Counteracting in Moliere's "The Impromptu of Versailles

Molibre's Impromptu of Versailles was staged in 1663 as a final answer to the ongoing polemic known today as The Quarrel of School for Wives (La Querelle de L'Ecole des femmes). It is a remarkable source of insight into Moliere's theory of theatre because it is Molibre's staged portrait of himself and his troupe preparing a performance demanded by the king on very short notice. Actually, the play is about a rehearsal that never takes place. Because of the rushed circumstances, the troupe members panic. They are difficult to assemble and put to work, wasting time by arriving late and continuously interrupting the rehearsal to express fears and opinions. Furthermore, as the troupe is performing at Versailles, it is subject to interruptions from nosy courtiers and from the king's messengers. When the rehearsal finally does get underway, even the director interrupts with corrections, additions, and advice. Thus the play appears to be more a portrait of impediments to rehearsal than a depiction of a finished product. In fact, the many interruptions that counter the rehearsal take center stage as the subject of representation. It can be said, consequently, that in Impromptu of Versailles Moliere defines performed representation as a dialogical phenomenon in which the interrupting or interfering elements are shown to be central to the representation

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