I had focused on the idea of love vs. lust in the play. According to the interview we read in class, the character Camille was supposed to reveal the love between himself and Therese. However, I would say that the love between them was rather childish. Being obsessively cared for by his mother formed the immature personality and state of mind of Camille. Therese was always there for him and was his only option, as arranged by his mother. On the other hand, Therese also had family-like love for Camille but had grown hatred from being tied down to a lifestyle she had been forced into. After Camille’s death, she seems regretful as his screams for help ring through her mind. She begins to constantly take care of his mother to make up for her actions. This also reminds us of the family ties once again. Therese’s love for Laurent was purely lust. Upon entering the room, Laurent had an “eye candy” quality by the way that he had looked physically and the way that he spoke. Their first encounter together was when Camille left them alone in the room while Laurent was painting a portrait of Camille. Immediately, they kissed and planned to meet and begin their affair. This was predictable as the sexual tension in the scenes since Laurent entered the picture was rather overt.

Aside from my focus, I’d like to add that the actor who played Camille brilliantly conveyed the ironic humor of the play. Without his character, the play would have been very dull and sullen. Overall, the acting was very well done. The intensity of each scene with the myriad of emotions from sexual desires and happiness to sadness and hysteria were channeled to the audience.