About the work
Tragicomedy in two acts by Jean Giraudoux, originally titled "La Folle de Chaillot"; written in 1943 during the German occupation of Paris as one of his last works, it was staged only after his death, premiering on 19 December 1945 at the Théâtre de l’Athénée in Paris under Louis Jouvet’s direction as usual. Unresolved performance rights delayed the German-language premiere until 1948, at the Münchner Kammerspiele.
Plot
In the Paris district of Chaillot, property speculators plan to exploit oil supposedly found beneath the city. The eccentric Countess Aurélie rallies a band of outsiders against them: in a makeshift mock trial, they lure the profiteers down a manhole into the Paris sewers, from which they never return.
Cultural significance
The Paris run played to full houses for 13 months; on Broadway the 1948–50 production was hailed as one of the most notable plays of its era and won a Tony Award. In 1969 the story was adapted into the musical "Dear World", starring Angela Lansbury.