As soon as the Portuguese director Tiago Rodrigues took over at the Avignon Festival, France’s biggest theater event, he announced a symbolic move: Under his direction, there would be a special focus on a different language every year, starting, this summer, with English. There was wincing from some quarters: To many in France, English is already far too culturally dominant. Of several dozen productions in the official lineup of this year’s festival, which runs through July 25, only six plays are predominantly in English. So far, however, the most intriguing discovery has been the sole American entry, “Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge,” from Elevator Repair Service. From tables on opposite sides of the stage, Greig Sargeant (Baldwin) and Ben Williams (Buckley) spar with effective solemnity.

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Persons: Tiago Rodrigues, hasn’t, Tim Etchells, Alexander Zeldin, “ Baldwin, Buckley, James Baldwin, William F, Buckley Jr, Greig Sargeant, Baldwin, Ben Williams Organizations: Avignon, France’s, Royal Court, Cambridge, Repair Service Locations: Portuguese, France, Avignon, British, ”, United States