Mnouchkine, Ariane (1938–)

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Mnouchkine, Ariane (1938–)

French theater director. Born Mar 3, 1938, in Boulogne-sur-Seine, France; attended Oxford University and the Sorbonne.

At the Sorbonne, formed student theater group (1959); traveled to Cambodia and Japan (1962); upon return to Paris, founded collective Théâtre du Soleil (1964), a troupe that studied mime and various theatrical traditions, including commedia dell'arte and kabuki; when French government donated disused munitions warehouse to her company, had a permanent home; collaborated with writer Hélène Cixous to create several works, including L'Indiade ou l'Inde de leurs rêves (1986). Other works of Théâtre du Soleil include 1789 (1970), L'Age d'or (1975), and Mephisto (1979).