Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 360 The Devil's Whispers!
As June 1881 arrived, the fervor surrounding "Thunderstorm" was even hotter than the Parisian weather.

This play has been performed more than fifteen times at the Comédie-Française, with aisle tickets sold out at every performance.

The box office was like the Seine River bursting its banks, with enthusiastic audiences like waves of floodwater that surged for a whole month without showing any signs of slowing down.

The long queues in front of the ticket windows on Richelieu Street have become a regular sight, with scalpers weaving through them and driving up already exorbitant prices to astonishing levels.

What truly made Parisians realize that "Thunderstorm" had transcended the realm of a successful play was a peculiar phenomenon known as "Thunderstorm disease."

Some young students, office workers, or artsy youths who were short of money but obsessed with the plot repeatedly bought tickets to watch it.

The record holder is said to be a medical student from the Latin Quarter who watched a total of eleven shows.

They only buy the cheapest "aisle tickets," which require standing the entire way.

But what's even stranger is their way of watching the show.

In the theater, they held their breath, as if on a pilgrimage, until a crucial moment in the play—

Or perhaps it's "Madeleine" crying out in grief and indignation, "It's fate! It's unfair fate that sent me here!"
Or perhaps it's "Madame Madeleine" speaking in that ominous, destructive tone, "Fine, go! Be careful, the storm is brewing!"

At that moment, they would erupt in short but enthusiastic cheers, as if a long-awaited ceremony had been completed.

The audience members then turned and left, satisfied, squeezing through the crowd without hesitation and disappearing into the night outside the theater.

They left the thunder, death, and madness of the second half behind.

This obsessive behavior of waiting for an emotional outburst has become the latest topic of conversation in Parisian salons.

Some say this is a new aesthetic approach, while others say it's just a poor person's pretentious quirk.

Regardless, the slightly mocking nickname "Thunderstorm Disease" spread like wildfire, becoming yet another testament to the phenomenal influence of "Thunderstorm".

The clamor of the Théâtre de France has long transcended national borders.

Gentlemen of London, scholars of Berlin, artists of Vienna, nobles of St. Petersburg, reformers of Barcelona, ​​art lovers of Rome…

They poured into Paris like a tide, speaking in various accents.

On their itinerary, even before visiting the Louvre, was going to see a performance of "Thunderstorm" at the Comédie-Française.

The innkeeper and coachmen beamed with joy. They might not understand the play, but they recognized francs and cindins.

Faced with this unprecedented demand, the Comédie-Française pioneered theatrical performance in Europe.
—The cast of "Thunderstorm" was divided into three groups, with key actors such as Sarah Bernhardt and François Gautier-Lüzarche starring in the evening performances;
The other two groups of experienced actors will take on afternoon performances and weekend encore performances, respectively.

This rotation system barely satisfied the demand of theatergoers across Europe, and also brought the box office revenue of the comedy theater to an unprecedented level.

Dean Emil Perrin looked at the ledgers, his smile so radiant it could almost melt Arctic glaciers.

The storm stirred up by "Thunderstorm" not only impacted ordinary audiences, but also triggered an earthquake-like effect among colleagues in the theater industry.

Great playwrights whose names alone represented the theatrical achievements of an era also flocked to Paris from all over Europe.

Filled with a complex mix of emotions—curiosity, scrutiny, jealousy—they sat down in Richelieu's Hall.

Alexandre Dumas fils made a special trip back from Florence, and after watching the performance, he remained silent for a long time in his box.

After returning home, he tore up the script he had just written for "The Princess of Baghdad".

Henrik Ibsen of Norway, who was visiting Munich, made a special trip to Paris at the strong recommendation of his German friends to see two performances of "Thunderstorm." This theatrical revolutionary, who shook Europe with "A Doll's House," did not erupt in enthusiastic cheers like other audience members after the performance.

He simply sat quietly, his eyes fixed intently on the stage lights, remaining silent for a long time.

Back at the hotel, he said to his friend, "...compared to Thunderstorm, A Doll's House is like an eighteenth-century work."

In addition, there are Paul Heisei from Germany, Alexander Ostrovsky from Russia...

These theatrical giants from their respective countries reacted remarkably in unison after watching "Thunderstorm":
I was deeply shocked, and at the same time felt a sense of backwardness and crisis in my creative work!

In a telegram to the manager of the Moscow theater, Ostrovsky stated bluntly: "...arrange immediately for the acquisition of the performance rights to 'Thunderstorm'! At any cost!"

Many of our past creative concepts need to be thoroughly re-examined.

Almost simultaneously, these masters, through their respective channels, sent requests for meetings to the Comédie-Française and even to Lionel himself.

They all wanted to see this young man who was taking theatrical art to new heights.

For playwrights, what limits their creativity is not their imagination, but the development of objective stage technology.

Traditional drama must adhere to the "unities" (one day, one place, one main storyline) to allow conflicts to erupt more concentratedly.
On the other hand, the limitations of stage technology also prevent the depiction of longer and richer environmental changes.

Lionel's *Thunderstorm* essentially set an example for playwrights all over Europe and even the world, showing them—

In the future, the stage space for theater will not only be horizontal, but also vertical;
Engaging the audience's emotions relies not only on the plot and music, but also on subtle changes in lighting.

This was equivalent to Sergei Eisenstein demonstrating the "montage" technique to the world for the first time in film, and from then on, filmmaking entered a completely new era.

Viewers who have seen "montage" will only find movies without "montage" stiff and long.
Audiences who have seen "Thunderstorm" will find traditional theater dramas to be poorly staged and lacking in realism.

For playwrights, keeping up with this revolution is an opportunity to reach new heights; failing to do so means facing elimination.

The apartment at 117 Boulevard Saint-Germain had experienced a surge in visitors after the premiere of "Thunderstorm".

Lionel was overwhelmed and had to arrange many meetings in cafes or other public places.

One afternoon in mid-June, Émile Zola hosted a small salon at his villa in Médan.

This salon was attended not only by the "Seven Sons of Meitang," but also by Zola, who said, "Several friends of yours would like to meet you."

When Lionel arrived, the living room of Zola's villa was already filled with smoke and laughter.

Zola warmly greeted them and introduced them: "Léon, this is Henrik Ibsen, the author of 'A Doll's House';

This is Paul Hesser, author of *The Goddess of Reason*; this is Alexander Ostrovsky; this is August Strindberg…

After Lionel met with them one by one, everyone couldn't wait to focus their conversation on "Thunderstorm".

Lionel also came prepared, and with a smile, he handed out a sketch of the stage renovation plan for the Theatre of France to the playwrights present.

Then, standing in the center of the living room, he spoke in a seductive, devilish whisper:

"Ladies and gentlemen, regarding the 'stage electrification upgrade,' I believe that European countries should unify the standards so that all new plays created in the future can be performed smoothly in all medium and large-sized theaters."
"And those who should lead this revolution are us, the scriptwriters..."

Ibsen, Paul Heisei, Ostrovsky, Strindberg… all raised their heads, their eyes fixed intently on Lionel!

(Only two chapters tonight, regular updates will begin tomorrow)
(End of this chapter)