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This is Yasmina Reza's first play. And it's sooo good? I mean, what a talent. I knew there is a reason she is one of my favorite playwrights. I'm currently working my way through her early work and Conversations après un enterrement (= Conversations after a burial) truly stands out. It's such a great play. The characters are little shitheads but you're still curious about them. The tension between them is great. The stakes are so fucking high, so that you absolutely have to know how this shit show will end. Truly, a wonderful Rezaian play.

The play, like so many of her plays, is basically a little family drama that unfolds at the same location during a short period of time. Paterfamilias Simon Weinberg has just passed away, and, according to his wishes, just been buried � not beside his wife, in the cemetery, but on his own land. The mourners cover the coffin with dirt as the play begins.

Assembled are his three children, all in their 40s now: Nathan, Édith, and Alex. Also in attendance is Pierre, their uncle (on their mother's side) and his wife, Julienne, as well as Élisa, the odd woman out: formerly Alex’s girlfriend, she has been in love with Nathan for some time.

What follows is a small family drama in which secrets, unlike Simon’s corpse, aren’t so easily buried.
There are some tensions that might be expected at any such family gathering, as everyone is trying to come to terms with past, present, and future. The father is laid to rest, but his presence is still felt. However, some unexpected facts are revealed as well, which change the family's perception of each other and the recently deceased Simon Weinberg.

The children, all unmarried, seem not to have much luck in love. Élisa's presence causes complications, and despite her best efforts she can't escape the gathering. Alex didn't know she was coming to the burial and she plans to leave right after to avoid confrontation with him ... but when her car breaks down, she is forced to stay for the night.

As with all of Reza's plays, the stage design is minimal. She doesn't want any distractions. She imagined and "open space" where the characters can take up enough room to explore their innermost wishes and repressed feelings. As we have already established, these six characters meet for Simon Weinberg's burial. We meet them right when the coffin is being covered with dirt, as Nathan reads from a letter that his father had addressed at 20 years old to his then still unborn son. Nathan, whom the father saw as his "prodigious radiance" can be seen as the star-child and beloved of the family.

His younger brother Alex, an ambitious writer, has always felt unloved by his father, and can't stand the fact that Élisa has abandoned him and prefers his brother to her. Nathan, however, has, with the exception of one time, never returned Élisa's advances out of respect for his brother.

Their sister Édith, the middle child, knows about their feelings and tries to avoid clashes that could potentially lead to a violent break-up.

Pierre, their uncle, is a witness to the past (the father's relationship with his children, Alex and Nathan's psychology, etc.). He is there to speak the truth but also to calm the situation down when it becomes too confrontational. His wife, Julienne, is a woman of common sense, full of ingenuity and good feelings, whose role often borders on scapegoating.

Élisa, the only character who does not belong to the family, is the so-called disruptive element: arriving unexpectedly, she is the source of many of the problems to come, especially as she is always prevented from leaving the family grounds.

There are many reasons why I enjoyed this play so much. First of all, I found it realistic in its exaggerations. As always, Yasmina Reza captured these perfect little moments that absolutely made me feel for the characters and made me believe that they are real people. I enjoyed her exploration of the different forms of grieving and guilt in particular.

ALEX: Mais moi j'ai envie que tu me dises que je vais le revoir! Merde, c'est simple, c'est net, j'ai envie que tu me dises: «Oui. Tu vas le revoir.» J'ai besoin de ça! C'est con, c'est ce que tu veux, mais j'ai envie d'entendre, j'ai envie qu'on me dise: «Oui. Tu le reverras!»

Alex's conversation with his uncle was one of the strongest moments in the play. After the burial, Alex feels lost and is overcome by guilt and grief. He confides in his uncle and tells him that as his father lay dying, he never found the right words to console him. He fears that his father died bitter, that his father died with little love and understanding of Alex and his lifestyle. He remembers a lot of their encounters and pleads with his uncle to tell him that he will eventually see his father again. He knows it's no use but he really needs someone to tell him that everything will be okay. His uncle is good at listening and eventually confesses that despite the fact that he's always seen as a man of "good humor", no one will cry at his grave the way that Alex is crying right now at the grave of his father. It's a chilling moment that reveals so much. About Pierre. But also about the impact that Simon left on the lives of his children.

In general, I really felt for Alex in this play, which might seem surprising. He's not necessarily the nicest character and the way he treats his ex-girlfriend is horrible. However, I could somewhat connect to his own feelings of bitterness and feeling like his life has no purpose. Alex is a writer. Or at least trying to be one.

ALEX: Je n'ai rien à dire. Je n'ai jamais eu rien à dire. Comment écrire lorsqu'on n'a strictement rien à dire?

At one point, he asks himself the exact question that I am always asking myself: How can you write when you have absolutely nothing to say? Towards the end of the play, he comes to the conclusion that writing means going somewhere people don't go (“C'est exactement ça écrire, aller quelque part où on ne va pas…�), it's about exploring something of worth that hasn't been explored before. And that also means being honest with yourself. So, even though Alex did some really shitty things, I still liked following him on his journey of self-revelation after his father's death.

The other subplot that had me absolutely dying and literally on the edge of my seat was the relationship of Nathan and Élisa. I don't know why and I don't know how, but DAMN, I was rooting for these two. Their relationship was filled with so much tension because Élisa had formerly dated Alex, and for fear of hurting him, she and Nathan never really allowed themselves to give oneself over to their emotions and passion. I found their relationship so interesting and was genuinely curious to see how it would play out in the end. (view spoiler)[[When Nathan, at the end of the play, refused to back down in front of his brother and announced that Élisa would be sleeping in his room, I was hollering!!! Let me tell you!] (hide spoiler)]

Overall, the relationships in this play - between the siblings, the siblings and their father, the siblings and their lovers, etc. - were very intriguing and a delight to follow. Reza truly shines with her dialogue, witty banter and heartfelt moments throughout the play. Overall, it is a great exploration of family dynamics and the manifold process of mourning.