AUTHOR ̂ 3 NOTE ON THE HISTORICAL

BACKGROUND TO THE PLAY

From 18u1 u n t i l h i s d e a t h i n I 8 I 4 Sade was i n t e r n e d i n the asylum of Charenton, where o v e r a p e r i o d o f y e a r s he had the chance of producing p l a y s among the p a t i e n t s and a p p e a r i n g as an a c t o r h i m s e l f . Charenton was an i n s t i t u t i o n w h i ch c a t e r e d f o r a l l whose b e h a v i o u r had made them s o c i a l l y i m p o s s i b l e , whether t h e y were l u n a t i c s or n o t .

Sade's e n c o u n t e r w i t h Marat, which i s the s u b j e c t o f t h i s p l a y , i n e n t i r e l y i m a g i n a r y , based o n l y on the s i n g l e f a c t t h a t i t was Sade who spoke the memorial a d d r e s s a t Marat's f u n e r a l E v e n i n t h i s speech h i s r e a l a t t i t u d e towards Marat i s q u e s t i o n a b l e , s i n c e he made the speech p r i m a r i l y t o save h i s own s k i n ; a t t h a t time h i s p o s i t i o n was i n danger, h i s name on the l i s t o f those markec out f o r the g u i l l o t i n e .

What i n t e r e s t s me i n b r i n g i n g t o g e t h e r Sade and Marat i s one c o n f l i c t between an i n d i v i d u a l ­ism c a r r i e d to extreme l e n g t h s and the i d e a o f a p o l i t i c a l and s o c i a l u p h e a v a l . Even Sade knew the R e v o l u t i o n t o be necess.ary: h i s works are one s i n g l e a t t a c k on a c o r r u p t r u l i n g c l a s s . He f l i n c h e d however from^ the v i o l e n t methods o f the p r o g r e s s i v e s and, l i k e the modern advocate of a t h i r d approach, f e l l between two s t o o l s .

The p i c t u r e o f Marat a t t h i s time a c c o r d s w i t h f a c t . The psychosomatic s k i n d i s e a s e f o r c e d him to spend many h o u r s i n the bath i n o r d e r t o soothe h i s i t c h i n g . And h e r e he was -on S a t u r d a y , 13 J u l y 1793, when C h a r l o t t e Corday came t h r e e t i m e s t o h i s door b e f o r e she g a i n e d e n t r y and stabbed him. Marat's words correspond i n c o n t e n t w i t h the w r i t i a ^ s he l e f t b ehind. V/hat i s s a i d about the v a r i o u s phases o f h i s l i f e i s a l s o a u t h e n t i c . A f t e r s u b j e c t i n g s o c i e t y to the s h a f t of h i s c r i o i c i s m , he p l a c e d h i m s e l f e n t i r e l y i n the s e r v i c e of the R e v o l u t i o n and, on account o f h i s v i o l e n t , uncompromising c h a r a c t e r , was made the scapegoat f o r many a c t s o f c r u e l t y .

PETER WEISS

MARAT/SADE

A ST. MARY'S COLLEGE PRODUCTION

T H E C A S T P R O D U C T I O N

JEAN-PAUL MARAT Le MARQUIS de SADE THE HERALD M. COULMIER

Noel Lenehan J e n n i Grubissa Anthony Poynton E l i s a b e t h Matthews

THE PATIENTS CHARLOTTE CORDAY JACQUES ROUX DUPERRET SIMONNE EVERARD CUCURUCU POLPOCH KOKOL ROSSIGNOL

Sharyn Rorke B i l l Ryan Christopher Tehan Fionna Madigan Louise Goggin J u l i a Hickey Darren Emerson R i t a Dimasi

MUSICIANS N i c k i Churkovich Ade. P h i l l i p s Jonathan L i t t l e

FLUTE GUITAR/PIANO DRUMS

DIRECTOR PRODUCER STAGE MANAGER LIGHTING

ADVERTISING DESIGN MAKE-UP

COSTUMES

Kenneth Ooi John Penry Robert B a i l l i e Simon Gibbs John Penry Kevin Keenan Gary Anderson F e l i c i t y B a l l I n g r i d Wilson Gary Anderson J u l i a Hickey Bridget Nagle

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Maria Katsonis Paul Monaghan S e l i n a Tso Diana Stephenson Michael Maher R u s s e l l S t a i f f THE WAY Community St , Mary*s College Senior Common Room

THIS PRODUCTION HAS BEEN ASSISTED BY THE THEATRE BOARD OF MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY