Écrire ou improviser ? Lesage et la révolution du théâtre de la foire, du type à l’acteur

On arriving at the “théâtre de la Foire” in 1712, Alain-René Lesage raised a key issue regarding its fate, that is, whether “to write or to improvise.” How could Italian acting be harmonized with his desire to regularize fairground comedy and thus create a new theatrical genre? Lesage appealed to his spectators’ sense of taste. This article shows that he gave the “pièce foraine” a specific identity, aiding its evolution from simple popular entertainment by acrobats into varied, complex and original shows.