Until the middle of the last century, Dom Juan was one of Molière's least valued plays. Withdrawn - possibly suppressed - after its initial run, and sidelined during nearly three centuries of critical and theatrical neglect, it came into its own during the twentieth century, when it featured prominently in the experiments of major theatre artists throughout Europe. In France it came to be seen as a touchstone of directorial art and, with Le Misanthrope, became one of the two most frequently performed works of the entire repertoire.

The ubiquity of Dom Juan is such that to recount its performance history would effectively be to describe the most significant directorial tendencies of the twentieth century. This essay, which can only hint at the richness of the play's stage life, has a twofold purpose. First, to account for its singular place in the history of the stage. Second, to evoke a sample of modern productions. By comparing some stage interpretations in their respective contexts it is possible to see how, by being constantly reactualised, a text composed in 1665 to meet a specific need can resonate profoundly in different and varied cultural contexts.

To elaborate on the last point: contemporary culture is saturated with cultures of the past to the point where they become naturalised and virtually invisible. Al Pacino directs Shakespeare, Claude Chabrol films Madame Bovary, John Lennon sings on the radio every day. However, not all the past is of equal interest or value to us.