TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — French actress Isabelle Huppert returns to the National Taichung Theater over the weekend, bringing intensity and heartbreak to Jean Racine’s 17th-century tragedy, “Berenice.”
The production, directed by Romeo Castellucci, runs Friday through Sunday in the Grand Theater, according to NTT.
Racine’s classic is known for its elegant, emotionally charged verse and its exploration of love, heartbreak, and political obligation. In this story, Berenice, Queen of Palestine, is caught between her love for Titus, Emperor of Rome, and the steadfast devotion of Antiochus, Titus’ close friend.
Although Berenice and Titus share a profound love, the demands of political duty and societal expectation force them apart. Antiochus, unable to bear the pain of unrequited affection, ultimately turns to death as his only escape.
Castellucci’s interpretation applies a minimalist lens, stripping away excess dialogue and visual distraction to highlight the psychological depth of the characters. The first act presents the tension between power and desire on a stark, expansive stage, with Titus suspended between imperial duty and personal longing.
The second act follows Berenice in her solitude, her grief conveyed through fleeting gestures and visual imagery, as though confined within an invisible barrier. The third act depicts Antiochus’ silent mourning and ultimate death, emphasizing the impossibility of their love.
Music, soundscapes, and fragmented monologues heighten the emotional intensity, drawing audiences deep into Berenice’s solitude. Castellucci deliberately preserves only her full lines, blurring the voices of others to underscore her loneliness and inability to fully communicate, according to an NTT press release.
When this version premiered in Paris in 2024, its unconventional approach sparked debate among audiences. However, Huppert’s commanding performance earned widespread acclaim.
Castellucci described the production as “entirely centered on Isabelle Huppert,” noting that through her, the play’s most intense emotional core emerges. “Racine's language, which radiates such beauty and light, surely also contains its share of shadows,” he said. “Here, those shadows are given their due importance.”
