The Balcony

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The Balcony (Le Balcon) is a 1956 play by Jean Genet.

Most of the action takes place in a special brothel that the madam refers to as a "house of illusions". The brothel is constructed of various rooms where "scenes" or role-plays are acted out by the patrons. Genet uses this setting to explore roles of power in society, for example, in one of the more sadomasochistic scenes a patron assumes the role of a judge who is punishing a thief, and the roles of the judge, executioner, and criminal are explored. Meanwhile, as these scenes unfold, there is a revolution going on outside in the city, and the occupants of the brothel are anxiously awaiting the coming of the Chief of Police. Genet also explores the role of the image in modern society as one of the prostitutes, Chantal, quits the brothel and becomes the embodiment of the spirit of the revolution. The Chief of Police eventually appears and it is revealed to the occupants of the brothel that the leaders of society (the Queen, the Bishop, the General, etc.) have all been killed, and using the ornaments in the house of illusions, the patrons' roles are realized.

The play was originally produced in London, England, in 1957, at the Arts Theatre where it had to be arranged to be performed at a "private club" to get around the Lord Chamberlain's ban on public performances of the play. Genet himself participated in the theatrics by accusing the director of ruining his play during the opening night performance. The production received mixed reviews. Genet preferred the Peter Brook production in Paris, France, in 1960. The New York stage production was based on Brook's version. Translated by Bernard Frechtman, the play had its New York première, Off-Broadway, at the Circle in the Square Downtown theatre. It was directed by José Quintero and featured Nancy Marchand, Grayson Hall, Sylvia Miles, Arthur Malet and Salome Jens.