Serreau, Geneviève (1915–1981)

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Serreau, Geneviève (1915–1981)

French novelist, playwright short-story writer and theater founder. Name variations: Genevieve Serreau. Born 1915 in Oléron, France; died 1981; m. Jean-Marie Serreau (actor and stage director, died 1973); children: Coline Serreau (film director and screenwriter).

Co-founded Théâtre de Babylone, which premiered Beckett's Waiting for Godot (1953); introduced Brecht to France through translations of his work; wrote Histoire de nouveau théàtre (1966), which championed Ionesco, Adamov, Beckett and Genet; wrote novels and short stories, including Ricercare (1973) and Dix-huit mêtres cubes de silence (1976); had a hit play with Peines de coeur d'une chatte anglaise, which she adapted from Balzac (1977).