Maupassant's obscene play 'Maison turque' published by Mille et une Nuits

In spring 1875, Parisian flowers smelled of 'moraline' as MacMahon promoted 'the restoration of moral order' while maneuvering to maintain social order. Guy de Maupassant, bored under the nascent Third Republic, spent time boating near Argenteuil with friends and free-thinking women. Flaubert scolded him to work more. In response, Maupassant quickly wrote a short, 'absolutely lewd' play titled 'À la feuille de rose – Maison turque'. Joël Gayraud's postface describes it as a 'modern, provocative and licentious' reworking of Molière's 'Le Bourgeois gentilhomme', expanding satire to target authorities and contemporary prejudices. The first private performance occurred on April 19, 1875, with rehearsals directed by Turgenev and Flaubert. Two years later, the play was performed before a larger audience, with Octave Mirbeau in the cast and Maupassant playing a prostitute. Spectators included Turgenev, Flaubert, Zola, Edmond de Goncourt, and a few women. The play was a triumph; Flaubert applauded enthusiastically. Zola struggled to hide his discomfort, while Goncourt blushed, outraged, denouncing the 'filth' and questioning the lack of natural modesty required to perform it before an audience. The edition is published by Éditions Mille et une Nuits.