Seuls en Scène 2026 presents L’Événement by Annie Ernaux at Wallace Theater, Lewis Arts Complex

In L’événement, Annie Ernaux (winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature) recounts—in detail and with the perspective gained over several decades—three months of her life between October 1963 and January 1964: the three months spanning the time she discovered she was pregnant to the days following her abortion. During these three months, her resolve clashed with the prejudices, moral codes, and violence of a world shaped by male domination. Confronted by an abortionist, she describes how she herself felt being born as a woman. The necessity of her narrative serves to dispel only one form of guilt: the guilt stemming from the fact that this “event” happened to her, and that for so long she had been unable to give it form through writing and share it with others.

This production will mark a new partnership with Comédie-Française. After Princeton, the production will tour in North America.

Performance Details: Show performed in French with English supertitles. Duration: 1 hour, 5 min. Content appropriate for ages 18+

Date and Time: Sept. 23, 2026, 8:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Directions: Get directions to the Wallace Theater, located on the Forum level of the Lewis Arts complex, and find other venue information for the arts complex.

All shows in 2026 French Theater Festival.

Accessibility: The Wallace Theater is an accessible venue with an assistive listening system. Visit our Venues and Studios section for accessibility information about our various locations. Guests in need of access accommodations are invited to contact the Lewis Center at 609-258-5262 or email LewisCenter@princeton.edu at least one week in advance of the event date.