The Screens

play by Genet

Also known as: “Les Paravents”

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July 13, 2026

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The Screens is a 1961 drama by French writer Jean Genet. It is a large-scale, stylized play that critiques power structures and societal hypocrisy, particularly in the context of the Algerian War. Genet, known for his avant-garde approach and exploration of taboo subjects, used this play to shock audiences and expose the corrupting influence of power and the complexities of revolutionary movements. The play's focus on themes of identity, oppression, and the performative nature of social roles aligns it with the Theatre of the Absurd. Due to its controversial subject matter and political commentary, The Screens was initially performed outside of France before being staged in Paris.123

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Jean Genet
…Blacks), and Les Paravents (1961; The Screens), are large-scale, stylized dramas in the Expressionist manner, designed to shock and implicate an audience by revealing its hypocrisy and complicity. This “Theatre of Hatred” attempts to wrest the maximum dramatic power from a social or political situation without necessarily endorsing the political…
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…Blacks), and Les Paravents (1961; The Screens), are large-scale, stylized dramas in the Expressionist manner, designed to shock and implicate an audience by revealing its hypocrisy and complicity. This “Theatre of Hatred” attempts to wrest the maximum dramatic power from a social or political situation without necessarily endorsing the political…
Read More

French literature
The 1960s: before the watershed
…satiric drama Les Paravents (1961; The Screens) premiered in Berlin and was not performed on the French stage until 1966, four years after the war in Algeria ended. Despite le fast-food, le marketing, and le rock, French culture was confident that it preserved an individual character, and the French enjoyed…
Read More
…satiric drama Les Paravents (1961; The Screens) premiered in Berlin and was not performed on the French stage until 1966, four years after the war in Algeria ended. Despite le fast-food, le marketing, and le rock, French culture was confident that it preserved an individual character, and the French enjoyed…
Read More