Henri-René Lenormand

May 3, 1882 (age 68)

Paris, France

Henri-René Lenormand was the author of several somewhat gloomy plays that explore inner emotional conflicts and the tragedies of human destiny. His dissections of the human personality center on subconscious instincts and motivations, which are mostly of a negative character. Lenormand's Theatre Complete, which contains eighteen of his most important plays, covers the years 1919 through 1942. At the same time, he was an accomplished short-story writer and novelist. In 1908 Lenormand produced a controversial play, Le reveil de l'instinct, which explores the theme of incest and is based on the true story of a French officer whose experiences Lenormand had heard about in 1904. Lenormand's early career was interrupted by World War I. After serving in the army, he moved with his wife to Switzerland in 1915 to recuperate from illness. Those early years saw Lenormand producing his finest plays, Les ratés, and Le simoun. The plays were produced in Geneva, giving him much-needed exposure and his wife, Marie Kalff, a career as an actor. As a mature dramatist that Lenormand returned to Paris in 1919. Some dramatic elements from Reveil de l'instinct anticipate Lenormand's later plays, including Mixture, a 1927 work in which a woman is abandoned by her lover and tries to earn a living as a singer to avoid prostitution. Then there are Willem's notions, which he express when attacking religion, about the freedom which should be enjoyed by the creative. This freedom, so often claimed for "artists," is the theme of several of Lenormand's works in which the relationship between the artist and the rest of society is examined. The playwright's universe is often completed by the addition of minor characters, such as native servants or a half-witted child. An element of terror also enters the picture, as a Grand Guignol-type sensibility pervades some of Lenormand's drama. Les ratés is a play about players. Lenormand's life was one that was centered on the theatre, as was that of his wife. The piece reflects the author's experiences of the theatre to a certain extent and, in particular, his love affair with his wife, for it recalls the hardships undergone by her when he knew her as a young actress. Les ratés depicts the struggles of young performers from the country tours to the atmosphere of failure and desperation as a theatre goes under for lack of financing. The principals are all forced to find other means of revenue. Actress Elle turns to prostitution while her lover, Lui, finally kills himself in despair. Despite the grim themes, much of Les ratés is witty and satirical. In almost all of Henri-René Lenormand's plays, someone commits suicide, there are no strong characters, and that even the apparently strong are hesitant. For example, Nico of Le temps est un songe. Nico's suicide is preceded by the attempts of others to counteract his morbid preoccupation with the marshy pools around the old Dutch house in which the play is set, but the outsiders' efforts are to no avail. After the successful premieres of Les ratés and Le temps est un songe, Lenormand wrote more than a dozen plays during the years preceding World War II. Their settings ranged from Africa to Norway. Their themes included the familiar, theatrical life, and the controversial. La lâche belongs in the latter camp, dealing sympathetically with a man's cowardice in his attempt to escape conscription. Though he turned to short stories in the 1930s, Lenormand remains best known for his theatrical efforts. The first and foremost theme in the dramatist's overall work was Freudianism. The work and writings of Sigmund Freud had come entered the popular culture during the early decades of the twentieth century, and Lenormand was convinced that Freud had irrevocably altered Man's view of himself. The play Le mangeur de rêves even has Freudian psychology as an actual theme. The question of the extent to which Freud's works influence Lenormand has occupied critics of this theatre perhaps more than any other.

Henri-René Lenormand Edit Profile

writer

Background

Henri-René Lenormand was born on May 3, 1882, in Paris, France. He was the son of composer René Lenormand and grew up in an environment of creativity.

Education

Henri-René Lenormand studied at the University of Paris.

$Education period of Henri-Ren\u00E9 Lenormand in University of Paris$

Career

Henri-René Lenormand was the author of several somewhat gloomy plays that explore inner emotional conflicts and the tragedies of human destiny. His dissections of the human personality center on subconscious instincts and motivations, which are mostly of a negative character.

Lenormand's Theatre Complete, which contains eighteen of his most important plays, covers the years 1919 through 1942. At the same time, he was an accomplished short-story writer and novelist. In 1908 Lenormand produced a controversial play, Le reveil de l'instinct, which explores the theme of incest and is based on the true story of a French officer whose experiences Lenormand had heard about in 1904.

Lenormand's early career was interrupted by World War I. After serving in the army, he moved with his wife to Switzerland in 1915 to recuperate from illness. Those early years saw Lenormand producing his finest plays, Les ratés, and Le simoun. The plays were produced in Geneva, giving him much-needed exposure and his wife, Marie Kalff, a career as an actor. As a mature dramatist that Lenormand returned to Paris in 1919.

Some dramatic elements from Reveil de l'instinct anticipate Lenormand's later plays, including Mixture, a 1927 work in which a woman is abandoned by her lover and tries to earn a living as a singer to avoid prostitution. Then there are Willem's notions, which he express when attacking religion, about the freedom which should be enjoyed by the creative. This freedom, so often claimed for "artists," is the theme of several of Lenormand's works in which the relationship between the artist and the rest of society is examined. The playwright's universe is often completed by the addition of minor characters, such as native servants or a half-witted child. An element of terror also enters the picture, as a Grand Guignol-type sensibility pervades some of Lenormand's drama.

Les ratés is a play about players. Lenormand's life was one that was centered on the theatre, as was that of his wife. The piece reflects the author's experiences of the theatre to a certain extent and, in particular, his love affair with his wife, for it recalls the hardships undergone by her when he knew her as a young actress. Les ratés depicts the struggles of young performers from the country tours to the atmosphere of failure and desperation as a theatre goes under for lack of financing. The principals are all forced to find other means of revenue. Actress Elle turns to prostitution while her lover, Lui, finally kills himself in despair. Despite the grim themes, much of Les ratés is witty and satirical.

In almost all of Henri-René Lenormand's plays, someone commits suicide, there are no strong characters, and that even the apparently strong are hesitant. For example, Nico of Le temps est un songe. Nico's suicide is preceded by the attempts of others to counteract his morbid preoccupation with the marshy pools around the old Dutch house in which the play is set, but the outsiders' efforts are to no avail.

After the successful premieres of Les ratés and Le temps est un songe, Lenormand wrote more than a dozen plays during the years preceding World War II. Their settings ranged from Africa to Norway. Their themes included the familiar, theatrical life, and the controversial. La lâche belongs in the latter camp, dealing sympathetically with a man's cowardice in his attempt to escape conscription.

Though he turned to short stories in the 1930s, Lenormand remains best known for his theatrical efforts. The first and foremost theme in the dramatist's overall work was Freudianism. The work and writings of Sigmund Freud had come entered the popular culture during the early decades of the twentieth century, and Lenormand was convinced that Freud had irrevocably altered Man's view of himself. The play Le mangeur de rêves even has Freudian psychology as an actual theme. The question of the extent to which Freud's works influence Lenormand has occupied critics of this theatre perhaps more than any other.

$Career period of Henri-Ren\u00E9 Lenormand in career$ $Career period of Henri-Ren\u00E9 Lenormand in career$

Achievements

Henri-René Lenormand was known as a writer. He was the author of more than thirty writings. His works were recognized for their explorations of subconscious motivation, profoundly reflecting the influence of the theories of Sigmund Freud.

Works

$Le Reveil De L\'Instinct Le Reveil De L\'Instinct$ Trois Drames Trois Drames

Le Temps est un Songe Le Temps est un Songe

$Les Rat\u00E9s Les Rat\u00E9s$ Theatre Complet Theatre Complet

$Les Rat\u00E9s Les Rat\u00E9s$ $Le Mangeur de R\u00EAves Le Mangeur de R\u00EAves$ $Les Mangeurs de R\u00EAves Les Mangeurs de R\u00EAves$ $Les confessions d\'un auteur dramatique Les confessions d\'un auteur dramatique$ Une fille est une fille Une fille est une fille

Une fille est une fille Une fille est une fille

$L\'enfant des sables L\'enfant des sables$ Marguerite Jamois Marguerite Jamois

book
- Trois Drames 1918
- Le Temps est un Songe 1919
- Theatre Complet 1921
- Les Ratés 1921
- Le Mangeur de Rêves 1922
- Les confessions d'un auteur dramatique 1949
- Une fille est une fille 1949
- L'enfant des sables 1949
- Marguerite Jamois 1950
- Le Reveil De L'Instinct 1908
- Les Ratés 1920
- Les Mangeurs de Rêves 1922

Interests

Philosophers & Thinkers

Sigmund Freud

Connections

Henri-René Lenormand's wife was Marie Kalff.

Father:: René Lenormand
Wife:: Marie Kalff

Main Photo