KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Agnes Pierron: Le Grand Guignol,The Belle Epoque French Theatre of Horror
Doctor Agnes Pierron was originally trained in acting at the Conservatory of Nancy where she got a premier prix de comédie. As a researcher she contributed to several encyclopediae such as Larousse and Bordas, and to specialized journals such as l'avant-scène or le journal de la Comédie Française. From 1981 till 1985 while acting she is part of the artistic board of directors of La Criée, the National Theatre of Marseille. She later goes back to doing research for the different collections of the Great French lexicographic endeavors of Le Robert, one of the best known French dictionary. she will thus compile the Dictionary of quotations on famous characters, and most of all she will compile The dictionary of the language of theater that received the prize of the critique (from the syndicat of Theatre, dance and music criticism) in 2003. In 2010 she published Le dictionnaire des mots du sexe (the dictionary of sex vocabulary)with the éditions Balland where she also directs the collections « les Dicos d'Agnès ».
She is also known as the world specialist of French horror theater Grand Guignol with three unavoidable reference Works :
- Le Grand Guignol, le théâtre des peurs de la Belle Epoque (collection Bouquin chez Robert Laffont, 1995)
- Les Nuits Blanches du Grand-Guignol (Seuil, 2002)
- Maxa, la femme la plus assassinée du monde ( L'entretemps, 2011)
As the only true specialist of this théâtre she has lectured in France and Abroad. Agnès Pierron is an actress, a playwright, a théâtre historian, a radio Producer, a lecturer, a collector and an indépendant researcher.
Free to the public: Library room 25 Friday March 2nd 6:15 PM