Abstract

In 1967, Charlotte Delbo explores the painful memory of her husband’s incarceration and execution in a play—Ceux qui avaient choisi—where she uses striking lighting techniques to switch between time frames. Through a study of lighting design in this drama and her other works, and a survey of lighting theories and practices, I demonstrate how Delbo’s understanding of lighting enables her to stage the tragic past that haunts her present. Furthermore, I find that she does not merely show her experience in Ceux qui avaient choisi. Through the use of fade-ins and blackouts, she elicits specific emotions in the audience and amplifies those emotions. As Delbo relives the past on stage, spectators experience her trauma at both the mental and physical levels. Her tragedy becomes theirs. So do her questioning and reflections on France’s past, present, and future.

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