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Biography
Name: Yasmina Reza
Birth: Born May 1, 1959, in Paris, France (Age 64)
Family:
-John Doe (Jewish Father) Engineer, Businessman, and pianist.
-Nora Reza (Jewish Mother) is a violinist from Budapest. She was born in Hungary and immigrated to France in 1950.
Husband: Didier Martin (Age 67, 1956); French Politician.
Children: Alta Reza (Age 35, 1988) & Nathan Reza (Age 30, 1993) -
Education
School(s):
1) Paris Nanterre University (Public university in Nanterre, France)
It is one of the most prestigious French universities, mainly in law, humanities, political science, social and natural sciences, and economics. 2) School Jacques Lecoq (Drama School in Paris)
It is a school that offers a professional two-year course emphasizing the body, movement, and space in theatrical performance and creative collaboration between students. -
First Started Writing
After studying drama at the University of Paris she went to act on stage across France. She began writing for theater in 1987. -
First Play 'Conversations After A Burial'
Yasmina wrote Conversations After a Burial between 1984 and 1985, but it wasn't released until she was 27 years old, in 1987. It was produced at the Theater Paris-Villette and received the highest French theater honor, the Moliere Award for Best Author. Conversations After a Burial follows a family in the aftermath of Simon Weinberg's death, The play tracks the conversations of two groups of family members: Simon's adult children, Nathan, Alex, and Edith. And 'the outsiders', Julienne and Elsia. -
(1989) Second Play 'La Traversée de l’hiver (“Winter Crossing”)'
Winter Crossing or The Passage of Winter was produced in France from 1987 to 1890 and received the Molière award.
It is about a friendship that is made through 6 people spending a vacation at Swiss Mountain Resort. -
Period: to
The First Two Plays Of Yasmina Reza
Both plays share a common element: a concluding speech, known as the post-monologue, which disrupts the play's logical flow and established theatrical reality. Unlike an epilogue, the post-monologue doesn't resolve issues but instead prompts new questions for the audience, urging a reevaluation of the characters' relationship with time. -
Period: to
The First Two Plays Of Yamina Reza pt.2
In Conversations and Traversée, characters exist in
motionless settings where they engage in idleness, quarrels, tears, and discussions. These plays occur during transitional scenarios (a funeral and a vacation resort) where time appears suspended, hindering progress. Nevertheless, in both plays' conclusions, a male character breaks this pattern with a post-monologue, projecting into the future, leaving behind their present state for contemplation of what lies ahead. -
About the Playwright 'Art'
'Art' is a French-language play by Yasmina Reza that premiered in 1994 at Comédie des Champs-Élysées (Comedy of the Champs-Élysées) in Paris. The play subsequently ran in London in 1996 and on Broadway in 1998. -
More About 'Art'
Art revolves around the complexities of friendship and the subjective nature of art. The story primarily focuses on three friends who become involved in a heated debate over a modern art piece that one of them has purchased. As their discussion about the artwork escalates, it reveals underlying tensions and challenges the very essence of their friendship. -
Overview of "Art"
The play is known for its witty dialogue and exploration of the value of art in our lives, as well as the shifting dynamics of personal relationships. "Art" is a thought-provoking comedy that delves into the intersection of aesthetics, friendship, and identity. -
Little Clip of 'Art'
https://youtu.be/fY9Gv9tSxfA?si=dW9ing7wbhVUKMh2
40:34-43:38 44:05-45:00 59:56-1:00:28 -
L’Homme du hasard/ The Unexpected Man
The Unexpected Man is a thoughtful and intimate two-character piece that takes place during a train journey. The story follows a renowned and isolated author and a fan who happens to be reading one of his novels during the journey. Both characters are absorbed in their thoughts, and the play examines their internal monologues, revealing their innermost hopes, fears, and regrets. -
The Unexpected Man Pt.2
Throughout the journey, both characters consider the possibility of striking up a conversation but are hesitant to breach the boundaries of their personal space. The play explores themes of loneliness, missed opportunities, and the desire for connection. "The Unexpected Man" is a subtle and introspective work that delves into the complexities of human emotions and the longing for meaningful connections in our lives. -
Trois versions de la vie/Life x 3
"Life x 3" is a play that explores the variations in the lives of two couples during a single evening. The story is set in the living room of one of the couples, and it unfolds in three different versions, each depicting how the same evening could play out with slight variations in dialogue and actions.
The play presents humorous and thought-provoking scenarios, highlighting how small changes in choices and circumstances can lead to significantly different outcomes in people's lives. -
"Life x 3" Pt.2
This playwright delves into the complexities of human relationships, communication, and the unpredictability of life. It is known for its wit, humor, and the way it examines the multifaceted nature of interpersonal dynamics and the impact of chance events. -
Une pièce espagnole/A Spanish Play
This playwright is a comedy. The play revolves around a group of actors who are rehearsing a play. As they work through their roles and lines, their personal lives and relationships begin to intermingle with the fictional world of the play. "A Spanish Play" is known for its humor and exploration of the interplay between life and art, blurring the lines between the two in a clever and thought-provoking manner. -
Le Dieu du Carnage/God of Carnage
The story revolves around two sets of parents, the Novaks and the Raleighs, who come together to discuss a playground fight between their children. What starts as a civilized meeting quickly devolves into a chaotic confrontation, revealing the characters' underlying bias, insecurities, and thin facade of politeness. Interview:
https://youtu.be/bhY7jLsXsp4?si=6fR7SkdqjvsloZun -
Chicas (2010)
Drama/Romance
Chicas was directed and written by Yasmina.
Pilar, a Spanish widow, has raised her three daughters in France. In love with Fernand, the manager of the building in which she lives, she organizes a lunch in her home with the intention of introducing him to the rest of the family. The reunion goes wildly wrong and the family’s craziness overtakes. -
Comment Vous Racontez La Partie/How You Talk the Game
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God of Carnage
"Carnage," Roman Polanski's 2011 adaptation of Yasmina Reza's "God of Carnage," follows the play's structure and themes. Two couples meet to discuss their sons' dispute, wanting just a civil conversation but it slowly descends into a heated dispute. Just like the original, the film follows the themes of societal fragility, human nature, and the thin line between peace and chaos. -
Bella Figura/ Beautiful Figure
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Yasmina's thoughts on Theater
Reza often emphasizes the live and communal aspects of theater, celebrating its unique ability to engage and connect with an audience. Her works, "Art" and "God of Carnage," explore this dynamic of human relationships with a keen understanding of the complexities of life. -
Awards
Yasmina Reza has received several prestigious awards for her contributions to literature and drama. Some of her notable awards include: Molière Award (France's highest theatrical honor):
-"Art" won the Molière Award for Best Author in 1995. Tony Award (American Theater Award):
-"Art" received the Tony Award for Best Play in 1998. Laurence Olivier Award (British theater award):
-"Art" won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 1997. -
Awards
-1987 Molière Award for Best Author (Conversations After a Burial) -1988 Molière Award for Translation (Metamorphosis) -1990 Molière Award for Best Fringe Production (Winter Crossing) -1994 Molière Award for Best Author, Best Play, and Best Production (Art) -1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy (Art) -1998 Tony for Best Play (Art) -2000 Grand Prix du Théâtre de l’Académie Française -2005 Welt-Literaturpreis -
Awards
-2009 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy (God of Carnage) -2009 Tony for Best Play (God of Carnage) -2012 Cinema Writers Circle Award (Spain) for Best Screenplay (Adapted), for Carnage -2012 César Award (France) for Best Screenplay (Adapted), for Carnage -2016 Prix Renaudot, Babylone -2020 Prix Jonathan Swift IN TOTAL: 17 -
Sources
1.https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/03/16/nowherewoman#:~:text=Nora%20Reza%20is%20a%20former,immigrated%20to%20France%20in%201950.
2.https://www.theguardian.com/books/2000/sep/03/biography.features
3.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yasmina-Reza
4.https://literaturfestival.com/en/authors/yasmina-reza/#:~:text=After%20studying%20drama%20at%20the,were%20awarded%20the%20Prix%20Moli%C3%A8re -
Sources
5.https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/conversations-after-a-burial-almeida-theatre-london-701931.html
6.https://www.bard.org/study-guides/about-the-playwright-art/
7.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_(play)
8.https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/reviews/a-spanish-play
9.https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2000/dec/09/theatre.artsfeatures
10.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_x_3
11.https://americanplayers.org/plays/the-unexpected-man -
Sources
12.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unexpected_Man
13.https://www.bard.org/study-guides/about-the-playwright-art/
14.https://www.litcharts.com/lit/art/summary
15.https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/reza-yasmina-1959
16.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_Carnage
17.https://stageagent.com/shows/play/1453/god-of-carnage
18.https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/theater/yasmina-reza-on-how-you-talk-the-game.html
19.https://slg-ce.si/home/theater-play/how-you-talk-the-game.html