Narcisse, ou L'amant de Lui-même

Narcisse, ou L'amant de Lui-même ("Narcissus, or The lover of himself") is a French comedy in one act by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)[1].

The original text

Written in 1742, when Rousseau was still a youth of 18, and was only performed ten years later by the Comédiens du Roi on 18 December, 1752 and published in February of 1753.

Translations and adaptations

It appears this may have been translated/adapted into Dutch as De Medeminnaar van Zichzelven (lit. "the co-lover of himself") by Marten Westerman (1775-1852)[2] and described as a vaudeville or "blyspel met zang in één bedryf" (a "comedy in one act with singing"). The text was published in Rotterdam by J. Hofhout en Zoon, 1800, but ascribed to Denis Carolet

Apparently was first performed in Dutch in The Hague in 1805 and later Westerman's Dutch version was twice performed at the Koninklijke Nederduitsche Schouwburg (Royal Dutch Theatre), The Hague (in 1820 and 1828).

Performance history in South Africa

1868: Performed in Dutch as De Medeminnaar van Zichzelven in Paarl on 26 May by an unnamed company (referred to by Bosman simply as "plaaslike jong liefhebbers" - i.e. "local young amateurs"), without any author or venue being mentioned either.

Sources

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcisse_ou_l%27Amant_de_lui-m%C3%AAme

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau

Facsimile version of the 1800 edition of the Dutch text by Hofhout, Google E-book[3]

Gerd Aage Gillhoff. 2013. The Royal Dutch Theatre at the Hague 1804–1876. Springer:p.203[4]

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: p.444

Go to ESAT Bibliography