The Balcony
Jean Genet
Play Summary
- First Image/Scene
Next to him, a young woman (‘Woman’) wipes her hands with a towel.
There is another woman standing, around forty years old.
She is madam ‘Irma’. She’s clearly agitated and asks to get paid.
The ‘Bishop’ insists that the ‘ceremony’ is still under way and proceeds to listen to the confession of his partner (‘Woman’), demanding to know if she’s actually committed the sins.
The two women leave the room and after a while return, with ‘Irma’ repeating to the ‘Bishop’ that she must be payed immediately and that he must leave because he is danger.
He turns towards the mirror and sees his reflected image.
- Second Image/Scene
In front of her stands a ‘Torturer’.
A ‘Judge’ is crawling on the floor, face down, towards the ‘Thief’. She’s a newcomer in the house, she doesn’t know the script and she confess rather quickly.
Through the ‘Torturer’, the ‘Judge’ brings the ‘Thief’ back to the script rules, explaining that both the process of extracting a confession of guilt and the guilt itself, are prerequisites to experience the relationship as real.
The scene ends with the ‘Judge’ begging the ‘Thief’ and her ordering him to lick her high heels.
- Third Image/Scene
The ‘General’ is in the room.
‘Irma’ is standing next to him.
They are both terrified by the uprising that has broken out in the city and they are discussing about the preparations of the ritual.
The ‘General’s’ goal is a perfect illustration of the script, which once again will repeat his glorious death.
A very beautiful ‘Girl’, disguised as a horse, eloquently describes the ‘General’s’ death.
He is lying on the armchair, which the ‘Girl’ drags with her, while leaving the stage.
- Fourth Image/Scene
Beside him there is the beautiful ‘Girl’(the same actress who played the horse).
He wipes his face with a handkerchief, he took out from his pocket.
His moves are mirrored onto three mirrors.
‘Irma’ opens the door slightly and hands the ‘Girl’ a leash and a dirty wig.
The ‘Girl’ puts the wig on the ‘Old Man’s’ head and starts whipping him.
His face is illuminated.
Machine gun fire are heard at close range.
- Fifth Image/Scene
Her room has two doors; One to the right, one to the left.
The Patron (‘Irma’) is checking her finances with ‘Carmen’; One of her girls who got promoted to an accountant.
‘Carmen' dreams of meeting her daughter, but 'Irma' prevents her, because she needs her to be close: she fears that the uprising, roaring outside, is not aimed at the Palace, but at the ‘Great Balcony’.
The left door opens.
The ‘Torturer’ enters, called from now on ‘Arthur’.
‘Irma’ explains to him that it is of a grave importance that he should go and find the ‘Chief of Police’.
‘Arthur’ kneels and obeys her.
He leaves from the left door, walking on his knees.
At that moment, the ‘Chief’ enters from the right door.
He informs them that an assault is imminent on the Palace.
At the same time, he expresses his regret on the fact that no customer thought of disguising himself as the ‘Chief of Police’.
Suddenly, a bell rings.
‘Carmen’ leaves the room (it is not mentioned from which door, but from the plot we can assume that it is the right door).
There’s a moment of silence, in which ‘Irma’ and the ‘Chief’ look each other straight in the eyes.
‘Irma’ is scared.
The ‘Chief’ (‘Georges’) calms her down.
There’s tenderness between them.
‘Carmen’ enters and announces the arrival of the ‘Court Envoy’.
The left door opens and ‘Arthur’ enters.
He’s shaking and his clothes are torn.
A bang is heard.
The glass window is shattered.
A bullet, coming from the outside, hits ‘Arthur’ in the head and kills him.
‘Irma’ gets ready to receive the ‘Court Envoy’.
- Sixth Image/Scene
‘Chantal’, a former prostitute of the whore house and ‘Roger’, the leader of the rebels, are hugging each other.
In the background, we can distinguish the facade of the ‘Great Balcony’.
Three armed men that seem to be guarding the couple, ask ‘Chantal’ to become the symbol of the revolution.
‘Roger’ declares he’s in love with her and asks her to remain with him.
‘Chantal’ is heading towards the ‘Grand Balcony’, as the rebels take her with them.
‘Roger’ goes away, talking to himself.
- Seventh Image/Scene
‘Irma’s’ clothes and those of the ‘Chief of Police’ are ragged.
‘Arthur’s’ body is on top of a fake grave.
Next to it is the ‘Court Envoy’.
Only he appears to be in good shape.
‘Carmen’ is dressed exactly like the first time she appeared.
The deafening sound of an explosion shakes everything.
The ‘Court Envoy’, with unintelligible words, announces that the palace has been occupied and that those who possess the true power have gone missing.
The only thing certain is that they are not in a position to exercise their functions.
Against the will of the ‘Chief’, who wants to fight heroically to the very end, the ‘Court Envoy’ suggests to squash the rebellion using the reflections in the mirrors and then proposes to ‘Irma’ to disguise herself as Queen.
In an effort to appease the ‘Chief’, the ‘Court Envoy’ promises him unlimited circulation of his reflection (effigy/image) in the mirrors.
- Eighth Image/Scene
First the ‘Bishop’ goes outside, then the ‘General’, then the ‘Judge’, then the ‘Hero’ (‘Chief of Police’) and finally the ‘Queen’ (‘Irma’).
A ‘Beggar’ also appears outside of the Balcony.
The ‘Court Envoy’ presents ‘Chantal’ to the ‘Queen’.
The ‘Queen’ bows in front of her.
A gunshot is heard.
‘Chantal’ drops down dead.
- Ninth Image/Scene
Beside each camera there is a photographer.
One after the other, the ‘Bishop’, the ‘Judge’ and the ‘General’ appear.
The photographers take their pictures.
For a while now, that the ‘Queen’ and the ‘Court Envoy’ are in the room.
The ‘Queen’ gets her picture taken.
The ‘Bishop’, the ‘Judge’ and the ‘General’ are plotting to seize power, while the ‘Chief’s’ image is not reenacted/reflected in the salons of the whore house.
After a while the ‘Chief of Police’ enters and ends their ephemeral temptation.
‘Carmen’ appears.
She whispers to the ‘Queen’ that a client has come, to play the role of the Chief, in the mausoleum’s salon.
Through the surveillance device in the room, they all watch the reenactment.
The client is ‘Roger’.
‘Carmen’ and the ‘Beggar’ accompany him. The ‘Beggar’ appears in this Image as ‘Slave’.
‘Roger’ finishes the reenactment by chopping off his testicles.
Having taken his picture by the photographers, the ‘Chief’, unaffected by the mutilation of ‘Roger’, descends to the grave that has been built for him (‘Chief’).
‘Irma’ asks everybody to leave and go home.
Then she turns out all the lights of the ‘Great Balcony’, telling the audience that it is time for them to leave.
Machine gun fire are heard.
Theatrological Elaboration: Thomas Theologou
Psychotheatrological Analysis: Thomas Theologou/Panos Mavitzis
Psychotheatrological Analysis: Thomas Theologou/Panos Mavitzis
Photo Composition: Theodoros Mavrogiorgis