Balgarianovinite.com Franco-Belgian playwright Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt told BTA he is “full of questions, not answers”, describing writing as a way to explore and refine questions rather than resolve them. One of the most widely read and performed contemporary playwrights, he visited Bulgaria at the invitation of his publishers Lege Artis and for the premiere of a stage adaptation of his novel The Rival at the Ivan Vazov National Theatre.
Schmitt praises Bulgarian theatre for its courage to delve into the darker layers of human consciousness, saying that this complements his own preference for lighter tones, creating a balance between shadow and light. He emphasizes that theatre is a collective art form and admits he avoids directing his own works, relying instead on the creativity of directors and actors.
Although he personally favours calm, human conversation, Schmitt sees conflict as central to theatre, which he considers closer to philosophy than literature. While literature relies on description and nuance, theatre thrives on the tension between opposing ideas and characters.
He believes The Rival naturally lends itself to the stage, where music, passion and intensity enrich the narrative. Trusting the creative process, he gives directors full freedom in adaptations, reinforcing his belief in artistic collaboration.
Schmitt also highlights theatre’s unique ability to suggest the “invisible”, concepts like God, conscience and fate, through minimal means such as gestures or words. For him, morality is not fixed but complex and situational, with truth emerging from the tension between values.
If he had to define himself in one word, it would be “freedom”, the freedom to think, create and allow others the same.
Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt was born on 28 March 1960 in France. His works have been translated into 45 languages, and his plays have been staged in more than 50 countries. He is also well known to Bulgarian audiences through numerous theatre productions and literary adaptations of his work.
Several of his plays have received Molière Awards, as well as the Grand Prix for Theatre of the Académie Française. He studied at the prestigious École Normale Supérieure, where he earned a doctorate in philosophy and obtained France’s highest teaching qualification. Franco-Belgian Playwright Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt Says He Is Full of Questions, Not Answers 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-05-04 16:29:49 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
