La Famille Benoîton

La Famille Benoîton is a comedy in five acts by Victorien Sardou (1831-1908)[1].

The original text

A play about female frivolity and the disdain aristocrats have for self-made men.

First performed in Paris at the Théâtre du Vaudeville in 4 November, 1865

Translations and adaptations

Adapted into German as "Volksstück" in four acts called Hasemanns Töchter by Adolphe L' Arronge (1838-1908)[2]. The German play had its premiere in 1877.

This German play's title not to be confused with the 21st century German singing duo called Hasemanns Töchter

The German play was in turn translated into Dutch by E.S. Culp (fl. 1879‑1879)[3] as a comedy in four acts called De Dochters van Haseman and first performed at the Schouwburg in Amsterdam on 4 October, 1879.

Heinrich Bolten-Baeckers made a silent film called Hasemanns Töchter in 1920, based on the German text in 1920[4].

Performance history in South Africa

1890s: Performed in Dutch as De Dochters van Haseman (Culp) by Oefening Baart Kunst ("Practice produces Art") in the President Theatre, Pretoria, probably towards the end of the period 1891 – 1899. It was their last production, and also considered to be its best work.

Sources

Facsimile version of La Famille Benoîton (the Levy edition of 1895), Google E-book [5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorien_Sardou

Volkert J. Nobel (ed.). 1968. Verdwenen water, gewonnen melk (Westfries Genootschap Archivering)pp. 58-66[6]

Facsimile version of the manuscript of Hasemann's Töchter: "Original-Volksstück mit Gesang in 4 Acten von Adolf L'Arronge", with music by Carl Millöcker, Lewy, 1877, Google E-book[7]

William Grange. 2006. Historical Dictionary of German Theater. Scarecrow Press: pp. 154-5, Google Books [8]

http://www.vondel.humanities.uva.nl/onstage/persons/3665

D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.381, 394-5

Ludwig Wilhelm Berthold Binge. 1969. Ontwikkeling van die Afrikaanse toneel (1832-1950). Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik.

P.J. du Toit. 1988. Amateurtoneel in Suid-Afrika. Pretoria: Academica.

Jill Fletcher. 1994. The Story of Theatre in South Africa: A Guide to its History from 1780-1930. Cape Town: Vlaeberg.

Footlights 1(5):12, 1929.

Donald Inskip 1972. Forty Little Years: The Story of a Theatre. Cape Town: Howard Timmins.

Go to ESAT Bibliography