The maids

The maids, 1974
Starring: Glenda Jackson, Susannah York, Vivien Merchant, Mark Burns
Directed by: Christopher Miles
Produced by: Bernard Weitzman, Robert Enders, Ely Landau

This adaptation of Jean Genet's THE MAIDS was part of the American Film Theater series, conceived in the 1970s by producer Ely Landau and meant to be shown theatrically just like a play, with tickets sold in advance. The film stars Glenda Jackson and Susannah York as two sisters named Solange and Claire who work as maids for their strict Madame. However, when Madame leaves the house, the two sisters dress up as their masters and take turns humiliating one another as the surrogate Madame. This masterpiece of the absurd blends Genet's acerbic existentialism with cutting surrealist humor.