[ZOLA (Émile)] - BUSNACH (William) - GASTINEAU (Octave). L'Assommoir. Drama in five acts and nine tableaux. With a preface by Émile Zola. Paris : G. Charpentier, 1881. - In-18, 188 x 125 : 177 pp. printed cover. Beige half cloth with corners à la Bradel, smooth spine decorated with a gilt fleuron, untrimmed, cover preserved (E. Carayon). An original-dated copy from an extremely rare and certainly uncirculated special edition, printed by G. Rougie and without Clairin's frontispiece, which is not advertised on either the title or cover. The cover is dated 1881. The edition opens with a preface by Zola, comprising three texts first published in Le Voltaire on January 28, February 25 and September 2, 1879. This theatrical adaptation by William Busnach and Octave Gastineau of Zola's famous novel was successfully premiered on January 18, 1879 at the Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique. A precious, fully interleaved copy by William Busnach. It contains the cuts made to the text during the performances, as well as staging indications and passages rewritten on the added leaves. The author has indicated on the false title: "Volume with the translations of the Ambigu and the staging of the creation. WB. April 1900." The stage directions are not in Busnach's hand. They have been carefully copied, perfectly calligraphed, with passages underlined and sometimes with diagrams. This is a unique and extremely valuable record of the original staging of one of the greatest theatrical successes of the late 19th century. A copy from Sacha Guitry's library, as indicated by a pencil note on the second white endpaper, dated June 1978. A good copy bound by Carayon. Cover torn and missing. Provenance: William Busnach. - Sacha Guitry.