Touring Production Story Synopsis Link (ignore the password request)
Take the time to more fully understand the story by Victor Hugo to make our production richer and fuller with character depth.
Consider reading the novel if you have gobs of time on your hands and an iron will. Or chronic insomnia.
Wikipedia has a concise treatment of the story. Hugo’s sources, synopsis of the plot and the
character descriptions are particularly useful.
Cliffsnotes are available free on line and contain thorough summaries
and analysis of each book in the six volumes.
Far less painful and more comprehensible than reading the novel! This is a good source also for better understanding of a particular character or scene.
The audiobook is free to download on line, however, the
readers for public domain materials are volunteers- some of whom seem to be in
therapy from jaw trauma or are doing extra credit for their English as a Second
Language course. Fortunately (or not),
the writing style is so ponderous that missing chapters at a time doesn’t
hamper story progress.
Of course watch all the film versions!
Strike up literary and socio-political discussions with fellow cast & crew! Compare and contrast Les Mis with Oliver Twist - preferably over a pitcher of margaritas. Or, if you're a Hemingway fan, a pitcher of absinthe.
Of course watch all the film versions!
Strike up literary and socio-political discussions with fellow cast & crew! Compare and contrast Les Mis with Oliver Twist - preferably over a pitcher of margaritas. Or, if you're a Hemingway fan, a pitcher of absinthe.
Les Miserables was first published in 1862
Hugo was a well-known and respected author of his time. Contemporaries gave the novel negative reviews, especially
for its ponderous diversions into architecture, religious orders, the Battle of
Waterloo, layout of the streets and the history of the sewer system of Paris, etc. – all of which do nothing to
advance the story. However, although the
poor of the time were almost universally illiterate, it was a wildly successful
bestseller and was translated into several languages the first year of its
publication.
The musical focuses mainly on the theme of ValJean's Redemption
From the beginning of the play in the primitive, dark and
bitter conditions of ValJean’s unjust imprisonment there is an arc to the
dazzlingly brilliant white wedding of the pure Cosette and Marius – made
possible by ValJean’s conversion to a force for good in the world, and finally
the reference to the wretched of the earth “climbing toward the light.”
Some Background on social conditions
Hugo sought to enlighten the
literate public to the plight of the working poor of Europe. Their impossible situation can be compared to
migratory farm workers in the US, or refugees in the Middle East. Essentially, honest people seeking to support
their families are driven from their homes and means of support by
uncontrollable oppressive forces such as drought and famine, disease or
pestilence epidemic, corrupt legalities, or war. Thus displaced, people become desperate to
survive. Natural support networks
erode. Families are split, children are
orphaned or abandoned, crime and disease are rampant. When people cannot meet their basic needs for
food, water, shelter and clothing, society crumbles.
Throughout history, there are
similar situations where, given the lack of advanced communications and social
awareness created by education, newspaper, television, cinema, and so on, the
extremely wealthy are unaware and unconcerned with the plight of the suffering
that exists at the outer edge of their society.
Given the right conditions, rebellion
against the wealthy establishment will ensue.
Success of rebellion is based on the strength of unification and
resources of the discontented. Since
failure of rebellion is fatal, the discontented must be mightily driven to make
such an attempt.
It was to the advantage of the
wealthy and the government, therefore, to keep the downtrodden under control. Hugo saw women and children being controlled
through withholding food. Children grew
up without light and without leisure time.
They had no “play” time – essentially no childhood.
In the end, a society may be
measured by its treatment of those who have no voice….
Setting - France of 1815 - 1832
Valjean is imprisoned in the famous Bagne of Toulon as a galley slave guarded by Javert. Valjean's 19-year sentence is finished in 1815.After he is paroled, most of Act I takes place in small towns -rectory, factory, streets, docks, hospital, Thenardiers' Inn- until Valjean adopts Cosette and secrets her away to live in the convent and school where Fauchelevant works as gardener.
Eight or ten years later, Valjean brings Cosette to Paris where Javert has also been assigned as a Police Inspector. The Thenardiers have lost their inn and survive on con games in the streets. Marius and his friends are university students in the city. The entire second act takes place in Paris of June 1832, climaxing with the depiction of the June Rebellion.
University Students
The students Hugo writes about are mostly from wealthy families of Paris. They are on the older side of today's typical college-age folk, around 22 to 26 years old. They spend their days at lectures and at public coffee houses, cafes, or parks expounding their endless political and social commentary. Most don't work or have to pay rent or have any responsibilities. They are for the republic and against the monarchy, which they protest. They don't have very practical plans for fixing the problems angering them because they don't have a lot of life experience. They read their texts and the papers, write essays, argue philosophy, dress well, smoke, drink, go to plays, and conquer women. Their wealthy families generally did not approve of their lifestyle or their protests.The exception to this is the character of Marius. In the novel, he separates himself from his family and has no time to spend philosophizing with his friends because he must find a means of supporting himself. He studies German and English and law and becomes first a document translator and then some sort of document lawyer. He doesn't have money to spend on drinking and entertainment as his friends do. He is marked as different, more honest and hard-working, although emotional and deep-thinking. He is also generous, which results in his acquaintance with the Thenardiers who live in the same building and see him as a con mark. He meets Eponine when her father sends her with a request for charity.
Working Women
Historically, women did not work outside the home – until
necessity emerged. Wealthy women did not
work and looked down on those who did. Working women in the city were seamstresses, cleaning women, domestics, or factory workers; many were driven by necessity to
supplement their income with prostitution, which was not illegal.
Areas of the city were designated
prostitution districts, and sex workers were commonly members of guilds run by
pimps, which ensured prices and provided for some level of safety. They were still despised publicly, and harassed by the police for disorder and criminal elements they attracted.
If you have more interest- research topics concerning 19th Century France:
Factory workers
Working children in Europe
Bagne of Toulon Prison
French prostitutes
Inns
Philosophy of Voltaire
University Students
University Students
June Rebellion
Barricades of Paris
General Lamarque
Paris Police Force
French Sappers (Soldiers)
Sewer system in Paris
Costume considerations for France of 1832-1850:
Illustrations (available on line) from the original work depict the costumes of
the main characters and many of the incidentals.
“Grisette” – a term in use from 17th century
through the 1800’s in France to refer to a working woman, originally so called because
of the common coarse grey dress they wore.
Prisoners at Toulon wore white shirts, yellow trousers, red
vest, smocks and caps. Those serving
life terms (approx. ¼ of the prisoners) wore green caps. Iron cuff with short chain on right
ankle. Iron ball was added as extra
punishment. “TF” French for “Hard Labor”
was branded on the right shoulder.
Thenardier followed battles from a distance and robbed bodies of soldiers in the aftermath - he helped himself to uniform pieces and created war stories for himself when it suited him.
Bishop of Digne - clergy costume
French Soldiers/National Guard
Wealthy citizens of Paris, wedding garb
University student attire
laborers, farmers, factory workers, domestics, the poor
Weather in Jun