From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

5th Republic (musical) 5th Republic is a new musical featuring music and lyrics by Dana Levinson, book by Stacey Weingarten, and additional story by Donna Drake. It is an update of Victor Hugo's classic novel Notre Dame de Paris. 5th Republic resets the story between the years 1959 and 1961 in Paris against the backdrop of the Algerian War for Independence and Charles de Gaulle's return to power.


Plot

On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the end of the Algerian War for Independence, an aging activist, an aging activist, René Deschamps, spends the night like most others; in a haze of drugs and alcohol, trying to forgot the events of five years prior. However, this evening, unbidden memories flood him forcing him to once and for all confront the Algerian woman he loved and lost, Layla Bouazid.

Characters 

those based on characters in 
Notre Dame de Paris

René Deschamps is an amalgam of Pierre Gringoire, Phoebus de Chateaupers, Quasimodo, and Jehan Frollo. René is the narrator of our story and a former French activist. He is a *Pied Noir from Sétif, Algeria. His colonial worldview is called into question young, when he witnesses his brother Étienne nearly shooting an Algerian girl. As an adult, René moves to Paris. There he works for the Jeanson Resistance Network aiding the Algerian cause. In Paris he meets and falls deeply in love with an Algerian refugee named Layla.


Layla Bouazid is solely based on Esmeralda. Layla is an orphaned refugee from Sétif, Algeria. She’s a dancer and bartender in a Monmartre club that serves as a front for the FLN. She has a magnetic charisma. Layla is deeply committed to Algerian Independence and is an active member of the FLN. She becomes torn between the cause and her love for René. Layla is strong willed and often does what she wants despite repercussions


Étienne Deschamps is solely based on Dom Claude Frollo. Étienne is a retired French soldier turned senator in de Gaulle's newly formed government, and René's older brother. He sees the world in black and white, French versus Algerian. His only perceived moment of weakness was the time he didn’t shoot an Algerian child during the massacre at Sétif 1945. When that girl, Layla, arrives in Paris and develops a relationship with Étienne's brother René, she upsets his world view and moral code to disastrous affect. Étienne helps found La Main Rouge as a way of fighting back against the Algerian insurgency.

Vivienne Godaire is solely based on Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier. Vivienne is nightclub singer rising in popularity. She is the epitome of Bourgeoisie; elegant, sophisticated. Vivienne is polite on the surface but vindictive underneath. She is the daughter of a right wing politician who is a political arm for the OAS and also in Étienne’s social circle; Étienne courts Vivienne to marry René.


Mohamed Benabderrahmane is solely based on Clopin Trouillefou. He is one of the leaders of the FLN in Paris and owns the nightclub that Layla works at. He can be all business when he needs to be, but can be kind, however this is often a manipulation to achieve whatever ends he aims for.


Maurice Papon is soley based on Master Jacques Charmolue. He is a close friend and associate of Étienne and also the Prefect of the Paris Police. When Étienne decides that Layla must be taken care of, he uses Papon to facilitate her arrest, and eventually her death.

other characters

Hakim Saïdi is a waiter at Le Hoggar and part of Layla's cell. He is a surrogate father to Layla, and married to Ghazala. Hakim is soft and supportive, but wary of the French. He is unsure of Layla’s relationship with René.


Ghazala Saïdi Hakim's wife. She is a surrogate mother-figure to Layla, as well as Layla’s closest friend and confidante. Ghazala encourages Layla to follow her heart; believes that home is where the heart is.

historical characters

Henri Curiel was a left-wing political activist. Born in Egypt, Curiel led the communist Democratic Movement for National Liberation until he was expelled from the country in 1950. Settling in France, Curiel aided the Algerian Front de Libération Nationale and other national liberation causes. He is the one who recruits René to the Jeanson Network.

Dominique Darbois was a French photojournalist and author, noted for her studies of exotic locales, artifacts, children, and primitive peoples. She was born in Paris on 5 April 1925. During the Second World War was active in the Free French Forces. She was imprisoned for two years in the Cité de Muette housing estate in Drancy near Paris, which had become an internment camp. On liberation in 1944 received the Croix de Guerre for her work with the French Resistance. During the Algerian period, she involved herself with the Jeanson network. She is the one who shows René the ropes.

Rolande Mingasson was responsible for organizing safe houses for FLN members throughout Paris during the duration of the war. She tries to ensure Layla and René safe passage out of the city after Étienne puts wheels in motion to have Layla arrested.


References

External links


Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=User:DALMusic88/5th_Republic_(musical)&oldid=878229527"