Theater | Preface of the Last Day

Théâtre des Charmes

1829: The last day of a condemned man is a success and triggers strong reactions from the conservative class. In the 3rd edition, Victor Hugo writes a preface in the form of a parodic one-act play where he puts into the mouths of caricatured bourgeois the repartees directed at books. 1832: The number of reissues is uncountable. Hugo writes a more developed and reasoned preface that argues for the abolition of the death penalty in a measured way. These are the two prefaces that will be staged: that of the impulsive young author and playwright and that of a future deputy who will return…