The Sacred Monsters
"Half veiled in darkness, half basking in light, these are the planets. Half of the world is resting while the other half is toiling. But the slumbering half radiates mysterious energy." (Jean Cocteau)
It is said that certain artists are impossible to categorize. Certainly, the Frenchman Jean Cocteau is one of them. He was one of the most significant and defining figures of artistic expression, living in the spiritually highly effervescent era of the first four decades of the twentieth century. He was, at turns, a writer, a poet, an actor, a film director and a playful, bohemian polymath with an exceptional sensitivity for the out of ordinary.
The Sacred Monsters was written in the depressing years of World War II. First staged in Hungary in October 4, 1945 on the chamber stage of the National Theatre, the premiere was directed by Imre Ráday and the role of Esther was payed by Gizi Bajor. Since then, this subtly written psychological drama was shown to the public several times, in different theatres around the country.
The title reflects the peculiar duality of the life of an actor—on the one hand, they are perfectly average human beings, yet on the other hand they have been blessed, or cursed, with an extremely complex emotional life. Stepping through the theatre gates, we are actually invited into the subconsciousness of the actors.
Love, hatred, ambition, jealousy—these are the ancient archetypal emotions that have motivated human relationships since ancient times. The story presented by the French playwright is no difference. It is about a love triangle, catapulted into supposedly sacred heights by the spectre of artistic greatness pervading the human relationships. In addition to the detailed and much refined characterization, the familiar situation of love struggles between a couple in their fifties and a young and aspiring lover is made interesting by the background against which it plays out. The story of cheating, love and jealousy takes place in the prop lights and shadows of a theatre stage.
Esther, the celebrated star of a popular theatre, uses all the skills of her profession and all the virtues of her humanity to win backher husband's heart from the young and determined Liane. Presented with Cocteau's usual wit and acuity, they engage in a complex struggle where the central question is whether the young actress is truly motivated by love or only by the measure of success that may be attained by being associated with the famous actor.
