Albert CAMUS launches his play “The State of Siege”.

Albert Camus (1913.1960)

Autograph letter signed to Maurice Noël, to Le Figaro littéraire.

An oblong octavo page on Marigny theater letterhead.

Slnd. [Paris. October 1948]

“It is true that the play targets the totalitarian system. »

Very beautiful letter relating to the creation of the play L'Etat de siege written by Albert Camus and directed by Jean-Louis Barrault (with sets by Balthus).

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“Dear Sir, It was Roger Lannes who kindly offered to send me his text. I accepted, not out of suspicion, but because Jean Louis Barrault and I wanted to preserve the piece's effects of surprise. For example, it is true that the play targets the totalitarian system. And yet we would have preferred that we didn't talk about it. But you will do what you want. Would you like to thank Roger Lannes for his discretion and his remarkable article and believe me, dear Sir, your always devoted Albert Camus. »

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L'Etat de siege was created at the Marigny theater on October 27, 1948. The play received a very poor reception from critics who believed, and no doubt wanted, to see a simple adaptation of the novel The Plague. Camus will return to this failure in 1958: “ The State of Siege , when it was created in Paris, effortlessly obtained critical unanimity. Certainly, there are few pieces that have benefited from such complete exhaustion. This result is all the more regrettable since I have never stopped considering that The State of Siege , with all its faults, is perhaps the one of my writings which most resembles me. »