Princess Maleine by Maurice Maeterlinck. Princess Maleine is a play by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck.
It was the author's first play. It is an adaptation of the Brothers Grimm's Maid Maleen.
The play was first published in serial form in La Société Nouvelle, a Brussels periodical. Since Maeterlinck desired the play be published in book form, his mother tightened her budget and gave him 250 francs.
The play was printed in December, 1889. Maeterlinck mailed a copy of his play to Stéphane Mallarmé, from whom it was eventually passed to Octave Mirbeau, who wrote a very warm review of the work in August 1890 for Le Figaro.
In the review he said the play was superior in beauty to what is most beautiful in Shakespeare. After this rapturous reception, two invitations were offered to produce the play in France in October 1890: first from Paul Fort, director of the experimental Symbolist 'Théâtre Mixte'-soon to become the 'Théâtre d'Art'-and second from André Antoine, director of the 'Théâtre Libre', associated with Naturalism on the Parisian stage. Maeterlinck gave permission, rather oddly, to Antoine rather than Fort, writing to him that Princess Maleine is yours, and, to my mind, always has been. You will put on the play this year or in ten years or never, as you wish. It will wait, and will belong only to you.' Shortly afterward, Maeterlinck withdrew the offer. But this was a bungle that prevented any live stage pr
It was the author's first play. It is an adaptation of the Brothers Grimm's Maid Maleen.
The play was first published in serial form in La Société Nouvelle, a Brussels periodical. Since Maeterlinck desired the play be published in book form, his mother tightened her budget and gave him 250 francs.
The play was printed in December, 1889. Maeterlinck mailed a copy of his play to Stéphane Mallarmé, from whom it was eventually passed to Octave Mirbeau, who wrote a very warm review of the work in August 1890 for Le Figaro.
In the review he said the play was superior in beauty to what is most beautiful in Shakespeare. After this rapturous reception, two invitations were offered to produce the play in France in October 1890: first from Paul Fort, director of the experimental Symbolist 'Théâtre Mixte'-soon to become the 'Théâtre d'Art'-and second from André Antoine, director of the 'Théâtre Libre', associated with Naturalism on the Parisian stage. Maeterlinck gave permission, rather oddly, to Antoine rather than Fort, writing to him that Princess Maleine is yours, and, to my mind, always has been. You will put on the play this year or in ten years or never, as you wish. It will wait, and will belong only to you.' Shortly afterward, Maeterlinck withdrew the offer. But this was a bungle that prevented any live stage pr
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