▁March ▁ 1 8 9 8 . ▁The ▁main ▁parts ▁were ▁played ▁by ▁the ▁two ▁most ▁famous ▁French ▁actors ▁at ▁the ▁time : ▁Sarah ▁Bern hardt , ▁as ▁Made le ine , ▁and ▁Luci en ▁Gu it ry , ▁as ▁Jean ▁Rou le . ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁translated ▁into ▁English . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁▁ ▁Les ▁Mau va is ▁Ber gers ▁is ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁a ▁workers ' ▁strike , ▁which ▁is ▁opposed ▁by ▁the ▁b oss , ▁H arg and , ▁and ▁cru elly ▁cr ushed ▁in ▁blood ▁by ▁the ▁army , ▁in ▁a ▁situation ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁É mile ▁Z ola ' s ▁famous ▁novel ▁Germ inal . ▁But ▁while ▁Z ola ' s ▁ends ▁on ▁a ▁note ▁of ▁hope , ▁with ▁an ▁imag ery ▁ev oking ▁future ▁germ in ations , ▁Oct ave ▁Mir be au ' s ▁play ▁ends ▁in ▁p ess im ism , ▁with ▁the ▁triumph ▁of ▁death : ▁all ▁the ▁strik ers ▁are ▁killed , ▁including ▁Jean ▁Rou le , ▁the ▁leader , ▁and ▁his ▁lo ver , ▁the ▁young ▁and ▁pre gn ant ▁Made le ine . ▁Even ▁Robert ▁H arg and , ▁the ▁b oss ' ▁son ▁who ▁supported ▁the ▁strik ers ▁and ▁tried ▁to ▁stop ▁the ▁mass acre , ▁does ▁not ▁surv ive . ▁No ▁hope , ▁or ▁possibility ▁of ▁renew al ▁in ▁future ▁gener ations ▁is ▁left , ▁only ▁certain ty ▁there ▁will ▁be ▁no ▁germ ination . ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁is ▁inspired ▁by ▁an arch ist ▁politics