Short Story #125: The Footlights by Henri Duvernois

Title:   The Footlights

Author:  Henri Duvernois

Summary

Lepierval requests to talk to the show director, who is rather unimpressed and interested in talking to Lepierval.  However, he does give and meets him.  Lepierval explains that his disappearance at the show last night was not intentional but was completely unavoidable.  He goes into explaining what happened the night before at the show.  He was entered into a show box as he needed to call out as part of the production.  There was a mix-up and people directed into the showing box that he was standing in.  To his surprise, it was in fact a young woman he had been courting and her mother who did not like him.  This strange encounter twisted itself into an invitation to stay in the box and watch the performance with them.  Through the show and after, it became clear that the once lost bond between Lepierval and his amore was rekindled and the mother seemed more agreeable to it.  So now, Lepierval is leaving Paris to go back to the town where he is from to pursue his love.  

Reflection

A short but sweet story that seems to mirror the world of theater.  That is, the story positions Lepierval as expressive and giving into his feelings which is in some ways how people who are actors and actresses are presented.  They are indeed people who often are following their hearts (as there often is more failure than success in such endeavors) and Lepierval as a product of the theater, leads him also to make other dramatic decisions for his heart.  

Short Story #124 out of 365
Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)
Date Read:  4/29/2014
Source:  Great French Short Stories edited by M. E. Speare.  The World Publishing Company, 1943.  You can find this story and others in this anthology at this resource.

For a full listing of all the short stories in this series, check out the category 365 Short Stories a year.

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