Routledge Performance Practitioners is a series of introductory guides to the key theatre-makers of the last century. Each volume explains the background to and the work of one of the major influences on twentieth- and twenty-first-century performance. One of the most important directors of her generation, and one of the only women ever to have attained great director status in France, Ariane Mnouchkine's work is in revolt against declamation and text-based theatre. A utopian humanist, attracting actors from almost forty different countries to her company, Le Theatre du Soleil, Mnouchkine nurtures a passionate following. This is the first book to combine: an overview of Mnouchkine's life, work and theatrical influences an exploration of her key ideas on theatre and the creative process analysis of key productions, including 1789 and Richard II. As a first step towards critical understanding, and as an initial exploration before going on to further, primary research, Routledge Performance Practitioners are unbeatable value for today's student.