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.