SOURCE: Kennelly, Brian Gordon. “The Unknown Role of Madame in Genet's Les Bonnes.” Romance Notes 36, no. 3 (spring 1996): 243-52.

In the following essay, Kennelly examines the role of Madame in The Maids, specifically noting discrepancies in the text and Madame's differing character in two versions of the drama.

“«Madame», il ne faut pas l'outrer dans la caricature. Elle ne sait pas jusqu'à quel point elle est bête, à quel point elle joue un rôle, mais quelle actrice le sait davantage, même quand elle se torche le cul?”

“Comment jouer Les Bonnes”

The text of Jean Genet's Les Bonnes that is taught and performed most regularly is the shorter of the two versions¹ of the play published side by side by Jean-Jacques Pauvert in 1954. It is considered the third and final acting script used in the first production of the play. Material from the earlier versions of the...