Obey, André (1892-1975). Dramatist, man of the theatre, and resident playwright of Michel Saint-Denis's Compagnie des Quinze (1930-4), for whom he wrote six plays. His ambition was to revive a form of poetic drama in which classical, biblical, and national myths could be reworked and made relevant for 20th-c. audiences by exploiting the company's disciplined ensemble playing and its use of stylized sets, rhythmic movement, mime, and choral speaking. Noé (1931) retains a certain folk vitality. Later plays likely to survive include L'Homme de cendres (1949), a version of the Don Juan legend, and Lazare (1951).
[S. Beynon John]
