Victor Hugo - In Rehearsal

A troupe of student actors is assembled on stage to rehearse an episode from Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. The episode is entitled "The Candlesticks of the Saintly Bishop." The actor portraying the famed convict Jean Valjean finds it difficult to believe anyone could be sentenced to 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread! The director tells the cast it was Hugo's intention not only to illustrate how cruel the world could be, but also to show how a single act of kindness could change a person's life for the better. That intent is acted out by the young company in a powerful minidrama. The characters are varied and interesting, particularly the clever bishop who turns a near-defeat into a stirring victory.