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**A masterpiece of twentieth-century drama by the iconic author of *Our Lady of the Flowers* : “ingenious, intellectually exciting, and, yes, still quite shocking” ( *The New York Times* ).** In the midst of a city ravaged by violent rebellion, a brothel caters to the elaborate role-playing fantasies of men from all walks of life. A gas company worker pretends to be a bishop while, in the next room, another customer dons a judge’s robe to savor the erotic pleasures of meting out justice—and punishment. These perverse costumed masquerades parody the larger, more violent dramas of the outside world. But as the anarchic political struggle threatens to topple society, even the revolutionaries come to believe that illusions are preferable to reality. A poet, novelist, playwright, and outlaw, Jean Genet helped define French existential theater of the mid-twentieth century. Deeply influential and widely acclaimed, Genet’s *The Balcony* presents an unrelentingly profound and critical reflection of contemporary society.

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