Christmas in the Theatre An Indicator to Apprehend the Status of Dramatic Répertoire

While Christmas is a frequent topic in children’s literature, it is rare in children’s dramatic productions. However, it is precisely by comparing these productions for young people to the – also rare – Christmas plays of the general repertoire that the singularity of children’s theater emerges. If some productions, which neither contribute to misery nor to simplicity, are able to reclaim Christmas, it is often to offer an uncompromising look at the contemporary world. The choice of the public then seems to direct the artistic gesture, involving various processes and strategies when these productions renounce the «aesthetic of despair» (Philippe Meirieu).