Editing Octave Mirbeau (section)

===Mirbeau's theatre===
In the theatre, Mirbeau made his first steps with a proletarian drama and modern tragedy, ''[[Les Mauvais bergers]]'' (''The Bad Shepherds'', 1897). Then he experienced worldwide acclaim with [[:fr:Les affaires sont les affaires|''Les affaires sont les affaires'']] (''[[Business is business]]'', 1903) — his classical [[comedy of manners]] and characters in the tradition of [[Molière]]. Here Mirbeau featured the character of [[Isidore Lechat]], predecessor of the modern master of business intrigue, a product of the new world, a figure who makes money from everything and spreads his tentacles out over the world.

In 1908 — at the end of a long legal and media battle<ref>[[Pierre Michel]], « La Bataille du ''Foyer'' », ''Revue d'histoire du théâtre'', 1991, n° 3, p. 195-230.</ref>
— Mirbeau saw his play ''[[Le Foyer]]'' (''Home'') performed by the [[Comédie-Française]]. In this work he broached a new taboo subject: the economic and sexual exploitation of adolescents in a home that pretended to be a charitable one.
[[Image:MirbeauHome01.jpg|thumb|''Le Foyer'']]

He also wrote six [[one-act play]]s, published under the title of ''[[Farces et moralités]]'' (1904), among them being ''L'Épidémie'' (''Epidemics'', 1898). Here, Mirbeau can be seen as anticipating the theatre of [[Bertolt Brecht]], [[Marcel Aymé]], [[Harold Pinter]], and [[Eugène Ionesco]].<ref>[[Pierre Michel]], [https://www.scribd.com/doc/3065923/Pierre-Michel-Octave-Mirbeau-et-Eugene-Ionesco- « Octave Mirbeau et Eugène  Ionesco »], ''[[Cahiers Octave Mirbeau]]'', n° 13, 2006, p. 163-174.</ref> He calls language itself into question, demystifying law, ridiculing the discourse of politicians, and making fun of the language of love (''Les Amants'', ''The Lovers'', 1901).