Daniel Mesguich's Shakespearean Play: Performing the Shakespeare Myth

Shakespeare's widespread appeal can be explained by the ideological force of his name. In France, belief in the Shakespeare myth has led to provocative productions since the 1960s. Controversial French director Daniel Mesguich participates in the myth, but he also exposes it. Using the teachings of Derrida and Lacan, Mesguich confronts the audience with the recognition of the ontological instability of Shakespearean meanings. Destabilizing Shakespearean performance destabilizes the subject, asking how and what theatre communicates. The confrontation between play and performance texts points to the absence of the original Author and to the presence of the director as Author, and exposes how texts and meanings are constructed.