Night

Just Before

the Forest

Written in 1977 by

Bernard-Marie Koltès

(9 April 1948–15 April 1989).

Translated by Timothy Johns

in 1982 for Ubu Repertory

Theater Publications.

NIGHT JUST BEFORE THE FOREST

was Koltès’ first widely

acclaimed play. He is

considered to be heir

to Samuel Beckett, Jean

Cocteau and Jean Genet and

his plays have been translated

into more than 36 languages.

Koltès died of complications

from AIDS in 1989.

NIGHT JUST BEFORE THE FOREST

is described as “an

unstoppable monologue

that must be uttered.

Not sure where it came from.

As definite and unknown as

love, life and death is.

Will you find the words to

say what you want to say?

Will you manage to love,

live, or die? Will you manage

to finish this monologue?".

(80 minutes /

Warning: profanity)

In the US, TIMOTHY JOHN’s

translation (1982) was first

read by Gilbert Price on June

13, 1983 at Ubu Repertory

Theater in New York and

first performed by Kevin

V. Smith (directed by

E Barnick) in 2012 at

Viaduct Theater in Chicago.

THEODORAKOPOULOS produced

and starred in the

NEW YORK PREMIERE of Koltes’

play (in another English

translation) in 2022 at the

Archdiocesan Hellenic

Cultural Center.