AFTER FIVE YEARS dedicated to contemporary theater, we turn to the works of the great French repertoire, works that are few, poorly translated, or totally unknown on the Greek stage. From the works of the great repertoire, we considered romantic drama as our top priority, a genre that deeply disrupted the history of French and European theater.

This volume contains three captivating works of the romantic repertoire, by three writers who left indelible marks on the European stage: Alfred de Musset, Prosper Mérimée, and Alfred de Vigny.

The Never Say Never by Musset was written in 1836 and first presented at the Comédie-Française in 1848. Musset wrote works of different dramatic genres, with the common element being the passionate stance of the characters and the constant tendency to challenge every established order. The Never Say Never is a comedy of sayings, a genre popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. It captivates with its strong humor, elegant lightness, and inventiveness.

The second work of the volume is the Golden Coach, a one-act play by Prosper Mérimée that was written in 1829 and first presented at the Comédie-Française in 1850. Mérimée, as a playwright, if not a precursor, was one of the first great writers to turn to romanticism, alongside Hugo, Musset, and Vigny. The Golden Coach, although presented only a few times, left a very rich legacy. It was adapted into a film by Jean Renoir, which premiered in 1953. This is a small gem of sarcasm and euphoria in a lush language.

Finally, an emblematic work of romantic theater is proposed: Chatterton, by Alfred de Vigny, written in 1835. The young talented poet Thomas Chatterton stands in opposition to a harsh and rigid society. Chatterton is the archetype of the cursed poet, the romantic hero and martyr who will be crushed between the gears of society and religion.