French Literature Reviews - 2026

Yanna Kor, Les théâtres d'Alfred Jarry. L'invention de la scène 'pataphysique
Theatre and Performance

Alfred Jarry is one of the most eloquent witnesses to the rich entertainment culture of the late 19th century: in his work, marionettes and Chinese shadows rub shoulders with fairground spectacles and magic lanterns, while opera and operetta blend with the théâtrophone. His theatricality goes beyond the stage to become a total, infinite experience that permeates all potential forms, to the point of blurring the boundaries between art and life, and even more so between literature and performance. Could this be why he seems so unclassifiable within the context of his era, and is surrounded by a postmodern aura for the contemporary reader?

Studied primarily through the lens of dramaturgy, this theatrical presence in Jarry's work remains all too often overlooked. This book sets out to shine a light on Jarry the artist, who transformed writing and reading into theatrical performance, and whose path was guided by a passion for the spectacular. Through an examination of his stage experiments, theoretical articles, and literary works, this book aims to reveal his singular approach, designated here as the 'pataphysical stage.

Yanna Kor holds a PhD in Theatre and Performing Arts Studies and is a specialist in the theatre of Alfred Jarry and 19th-century French puppet theatre. She is an associate researcher at the CEAC laboratory for the research program "Lumière de spectacle" (University of Lille) and a postdoctoral fellow under the ERC (European Research Council) Puppet-Plays project at the RIRRA 21 Laboratory of University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3.

Table of Contents

Introduction

I. The Staging of Ubu Roi

1. 1888. Le Théâtre des Phynances. Alfred Jarry's Theatrical Beginnings
2. 1896. Jarry at the Théâtre de l'Œuvre
The set design: "megalomaniac nightmare"
The actor performing as a marionette3. 1898. Collaboration with the Théâtre des Pantins
The Théâtre des Pantins
Ubu at the Théâtre des Pantins
Jarry the puppeteer
4. 1900-190
3. Jarry moves away from Ubu, but not from marionettes
1901 – Ubu without Jarry at the Quat'Z'Arts cabaret
1901-1903 – The final puppet experiments
5. 1908. Ubu after Jarry

II. Jarry's Theatrical Vision

6. The Set Design. How Do You Stage Nowhere?
Heraldic set design
A stripped-down theatricality
Towards the space of the puppet booth
7. The Actor. "The Soul and Inner Man of the Great Marionette"
The actor-marionette at the turn of the century
"performing locked inside a mask"
"embodying the entire role physically"
The voice of lost origin
Rediscovering "the inner man and the soul of the great marionettes"
8. Shedding Light: Jarry on Stage Lighting
Animating the mask
The mask as a space of projection and exchange
Opening the mask

III. Towards the 'Pataphysical Stage

9. 'Pataphysical Space I: The Observatory and Depth
Creating the viewing space – César-Antéchrist
The observatory – The SupermaleTowards depth – Haldernablou
In the depths – Absolute Love
10. 'Pataphysical Space II: The Wall and the Garden
The wall – Love in Visits
The garden – Messalina
11. The 'Pataphysical Body I: "A Rigidity, That Is to Say, Absolute Elasticity"
On the hermit crab and Kaka-San
On the shuttlecock and the machine-man
The sinking machine
Drowned bodies
12. The 'Pataphysical Body II: "He Sometimes Danced at Night"
The mask of the Indians
Mnester the acrobat
13. The Magic Lantern
Projection…
…is multicolored…
…and acoustic
Towards the 'pataphysical stage

Jarry and Contemporary Performative Practices (as a conclusion)
Bibliography

The late 19th century in France was characterized by a diverse entertainment culture, where popular fairground spectacles, marionette theater, and emerging technologies like the magic lantern and the théâtrophone influenced artistic production. Alfred Jarry created works that integrated these varied performance modes and blurred the distinction between written text and physical enactment. Readers interested in the history of French avant-garde theater may find this exploration of Jarry's aesthetic evolution and his stage experiments relevant.

Jarry's work is often studied through the lens of dramaturgy, focusing on his theatrical vision and the influence of his stage experiments. This book examines his theoretical articles and literary works to analyze his approach, designated as the 'pataphysical stage. It addresses the role of the actor as a marionette, the use of masks, and the construction of non-traditional performance spaces to show how Jarry transformed writing and reading into theatrical performance.