The Liar Play Analysis

The play “The Liar” by Pierre Corneille, is a French comedy and love play that was first performed in 1644. Based on The Suspicious Truth by Mexican-Spanish playwright Juan Ruiz De Alarcon, Corneille abruptly produced his comic masterpiece. It starts off by introducing a young promiscuous young man who has come to Paris after claiming he has returned from the wars in Germany. Throughout the play Dorante continuously tells preposterous lies, getting himself into trouble. The new alteration of the play performed at Blinn’s Bryan Campus Theatre Department, “The Liar” by David Ives, incorporates many of the original aspects of The Liar, as well as incorporating many modern twists to the play. The scenery and costumes Bryan Campus Theatre Department incorporated into the play created a setting that made the audience feel within the era. Taking place in 17th Century Paris, France, some believe the play is drawn in part from Corneille’s own life. As Corneille left law in Rouen for a romantic life of an artist in Paris, Dorante goes to Paris for romance, …show more content…
When taking a seat, I notice the use of a thrust stage setup, which also helped the audience feel more personal within the play, allowing the audience to clearly catch all the action and emotions the actors express in the play. Immediately the audience feels within the era because of the backdrop and props on stage. On stage was simply three props along with chairs and a backdrop of a palace, this scene helped portray the effect of an early century garden in the center of the town. Along with the props, the lightning played a huge role in the setting within the play. Lighting colors such as red created a much more hot and exciting feel to the setting, while colors like blue created a cool and somber feeling of the setting. Not only did the scenery play a huge role in the play, but also the costumes used within the