Guy de MAUPASSANT wishes to cancel the performance of Musotte.

Guy de Maupassant (1850.1893)

Autograph telegram letter signed to Mr. Carré, director of Vaudeville.

One page in-12° on green paper with serrated edges.

Autograph address. [Paris. February 20, 1891 – postmarked].

“The piece I did with Mr. Normand will not be shown at the Gymnase. »

A few days before the premiere of Musotte , Maupassant, injured, wanted to cancel the performance at the Théâtre du Gymnase.

___________________________

“Dear Sir, following a lively discussion that I have just had with Mr. Koning [Victor Koning, director of the Gymnase theater] about a process by which I was injured, the play that I I made with M. Normand [the writer Jacques Normand] will not be shown at the Gymnase , although it is ready to be performed. Would she go to Vaudeville? Believe in my very devoted feelings. Guy de Maupassant. »

___________________________

Musotte owes its origin to Jacques Normand who adapted, in 1889, Maupassant's tale L'Enfant .

At the beginning of 1890, the latter wrote to his mother: “I promised Koning, director of the Gymnase, to remake the play that Normand took from my story The Child. Koning, who is the most skilful of the directors of Paris, believes in a great success of this play for next winter..."

A few months later, the relationship between Koning and Maupassant deteriorated over various disagreements. Normand, caught between these two strong characters, must redouble his understanding – “ I then spent the treasures of a diplomacy of which I until then believed myself incapable. » – in order to safeguard the theatrical project.

After several imbroglios (to which our letter testifies) the piece was created at the Gymnase on March 4, 1891 and was a dazzling success, much to the surprise of Maupassant himself.

Bibliography: Guy de Maupassant . Marlo Johnston. Fayard.