Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Ottawa, April 9, 2013
Spurred by the tremendous success of the 2012-2013 season, the artistic director of NAC French Theatre Brigitte Haentjens unveiled today the program for the upcoming season. She and her colleague Mélanie Dumont, associate artistic director responsible for the Youth program, are inviting audiences to discover not only stories told in innovative fashion but musical presentations as well, all strong works exploring themes such as exile and identity, and all rich with the poetry of speech and body. Inspired by Nietzsche’s phrase “Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings – always darker, emptier and simpler“, the 19 incisive works presented in the French Theatre 2013-14 season are an opportunity to probe our innermost, most intimate selves, and to forge a deep and meaningful bond with art and its mysteries.
HIGHLIGHTS
Cendrillon, a new work by Joël Pommerat, will be making its North American première. An extraordinary performance suitable for all ages;
A happening in poetry and music: Thomas Hellman chante Roland Giguère;
Visage de feu, coproduced by three companies from three different provinces: Théâtre Blanc (Quebec City), théâtre de l’Escaouette (Moncton) and Théâtre français du CNA (Ottawa);
Ta douleur, choreographed and directed by Brigitte Haentjens;
Statu quo, by the Saskatchewan artist Gilles Poulin-Denis, produced by Théâtre la Seizième in Vancouver;
Ce qui nous relie ?, a formidable mediation project by adolescents bound to make for a compelling performance;
Albertine, en cinq temps, a masterpiece by Michel Tremblay initially presented at the French Theatre 30 years ago;
Le promenoir, a walkabout project directed by Christian Lapointe – an opportunity to discover the community;
Gretel et Hansel, the most recent piece by the grande dame of theatre for young audiences Suzanne Lebeau.
PROGRAM
Je n’y suis plus
Salle Jean-Despréz de la Maison du Citoyen
September 11-14
Written by: Marie-Claude Verdier / Directed and interpreted by: Magali Lemèle
Produced by: Magali Lemèle / Coproduced by: Théâtre français du CNA
A young woman loses her bearings and locks herself in a prison of her own making – an implosion, an inner big bang. Who is she in the midst of an alienating environment? The result is a fresh and passionate performance with flashes of stand-up comedy.
Thomas Hellman chante Roland Giguère
Theatre
September 18
Written by: Roland Giguère and other authors / Music: Thomas Hellman
Directed by: Thomas Hellman and Brigitte Haentjens
Produced by: Thomas Hellman and Gestion Nuland
Seduced by the brilliant, surrealist images in Roland Giguère’s poems collected in L’âge de la parole, Hellman has set them to music. He brings the poet’s world alive with minimalist melodies tinged with a hint of folk, music whose vibrant heart throbs with real poetry.
Moi, dans les ruines rouges du siècle
Theatre
September 25-28
Original Idea: Olivier Kemeid and Sasha Samar / Written and directed by: Olivier Kemeid
Produced by: Trois Tristes Tigres
Sasha grew up in the Ukraine under Soviet rule. Now he works in the theatre, performing his life. History here is imbued with imagination marked by liberty and disillusion, from which emerges the young man’s destiny in a tale told with powerful, sincere emotion.
Pomme
Ages 3+
Studio
October 26-27
Ideation and creation: Isabelle Payant and Patrick Conan
Produced by: Théâtre des Petites âmes and Compagnie Garin Trousseboeuf
This apple has big dreams. It wants to defy the laws of nature and become an apple that can walk, swim, fall in love! From one incident to the next, the epic story of this charming character is a fable, a puppet poem evoking the grand adventure of life. Take a big bite!
Visage de feu
Studio
October 30 to November 2
Written by: Marius von Mayenburg / Directed by: Joël Beddows
Produced by: théâtre l’Escaouette, Théâtre Blanc and Théâtre français du CNA
Kurt is a young arsonist on the verge of puberty, and his sister Olga is bored to death. Their parents are completely out of touch. Attacking contemporary tribulations with caustic, virulent satire, the play sets the modern family ablaze.
Cendrillon
For all audiences, 9+
Theatre
November 6-9
Written and directed by: Joël Pommerat
Produced by: Théâtre National de la Communauté française / Coproduced by: La Monnaie/De Munt
Cinderella seemed so familiar, yet Joël Pommerat starts things off with a key moment in her life, shedding surprising light on the story. He gives her depth as a character in a visual poem that resonates with the here and now. For one and all, and forever.
Petit bonhomme en papier carbone
For all audiences, 12+
Studio
November 29-30
Written, directed and interpreted by: Francis Monty
Produced by: La Pire Espèce
Éthienne is a boy with 56 brothers, a frivolous mother and a vacuous father. His incredibly extravagant universe leads him to question everything. This extraordinary fable of objects by La Pire Espèce combines dreams and reality, fantasy and derision.
Ta douleur
Studio
Decembre 4-7
Artistic direction and choreography: Brigitte Haentjens
Produced by: Sibyllines / Original creation: Danse-Cité and Anne Le Beau
An act of pure creation, this highly physical theatre uses the body as the raw material to evoke daily situations and to liberate raw emotion. The actors are totally committed, fully engaging the audience as they embark on a turbulent journey.
Le grand méchant loup
Ages 5+
Studio
December 14-15
Written and directed by: Jacqueline Gosselin
Produced by: DynamO Théâtre
Three comical and endearing students work together on a zany oral presentation. The topic is the presence and role of the big bad wolf in fairy tales. The beast is everywhere, in stories and in our imagination, but the true theme of this piece is laughter.
Flots, tout ce qui brille voit
18 months to 4 years old
Studio
January 25-26
Conceived and directed by: Véronique Côté
Produced by: le théâtre des Confettis
At the end of a road lined with seashells stands a tent where two strapping fellows bid us welcome. Using little dialogue, the piece evokes the waves and makes fish and boats appear as it surfs the breakers of memory and sensation.
Le projet pupitre
Ages 5+
Studio
February 1-2
Conceived by: Martin Messier and Jacques Poulin-Denis / Directed by: Michel Lefebvre
Produced by: Youtheatre
A dictation exercise is transformed in unforeseeable fashion when two friends use what they find in their desks to create a madcap electro-acoustic concert. This exuberant, entertaining piece is performed by veritable acrobats of sound!
L’homme atlantique (et La maladie de la mort)
Theatre
February 19-22
Written by: Marguerite Duras / Directed by: Christian Lapointe
Produced by: Théâtre Péril / Coproduced by: Théâtre français du CNA, Festival TransAmériques and Recto-Verso
The stage is a film set where the crew is improvising a story. Relations between men and women are scrutinized through two works by Marguerite Duras, as are the relation between the script, the actor and the character. A moving look at love and performance.
Un
Studio
March 5-8
Written, directed and interpreted by: Mani Soleymanlou
Produced by: Orange Noyée / Coproduced by: La Chapelle
Between starry evenings in Teheran and meteor showers in Caraquet, the tale told by Mani Soleymanlou – known as the Iranian – is one of exile, rootlessness and split identity. Superb questioning based on an honest, generous monologue.
Statu quo
For all audiences, 14+
Studio
March 28-29
Written by: Gilles Poulin-Denis / Directed by: Craig Holzschuh
Produced by: Théâtre la Seizième
Sarah meets with her friend Adèle in their small town. Time drags on, nothing ever happens. Things are at a standstill, and Sarah wants to be done with the dull and the everyday. A piece full of the familiar and the extraordinary, and also humour and spirit.
Une vie pour deux (La chair et autres fragments de l’amour)
Studio
April 9-12
Written by: Evelyne de la Chenelière, based on the Marie Cardinal’s novel Une vie pour deux / Directed by: Alice Ronfard
Produced by: Espace Go
Inspired by Marie Cardinal’s novel of the same name, Evelyne de la Chenelière’s script brings back to life the characters of Simone and Jean. The body of a woman discovered on the beach comes between them, upsetting their ideas of love, jealousy and ageing.
Ce qui nous relie ?
For all audiences, 14+
Théâtre de la Cour des arts
April 25
Conceived by: Mélanie Dumont and Anne-Marie Guilmaine / Written by: Anne-Marie Guilmaine and the young participants
Produced by: Théâtre français du CNA
Define a particular space. Invite teenagers to occupy it. Surprise them with questions. Collect stories close to their hearts¸ stories that shake them up. Turn it all into a play that they present for a single performance. One night only, come one and all!
Albertine, en cinq temps
Theatre
April 30 to May 3
Written by: Michel Tremblay / Directed by: Lorraine Pintal
Produced by: Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and Théâtre du Trident
Albertine is rage – her tragedy, her inability to get beyond it. Michel Tremblay’s piece centres on the central, emblematic character of his plays at different stages of her life. A spectator of her own past and a prisoner of her destiny, she cries out her pain and grief.
Le promenoir
Venues to be confirmed
May 14-17
Artistic direction: Christian Lapointe
Produced by: Théâtre français du CNA
Get out of your seats, discover those around you. Join this playful epic journeying through time, this ballad between various stations to be explored through song, slam poetry, stories and poems. For after all, theatre is community!
Gretel et Hansel
Ages 6+
Studio
May 24-25
Written by: Suzanne Lebeau / Directed by: Gervais Gaudreault
Produced by: Le Carrousel, compagnie de théâtre / Coproduced by: Théâtre du Vieux-Terrebonne
Suzanne Lebeau shakes up the famous tale. The parents, forest and witch remain, but this time situations are reversed. Through Gretel’s eyes, the renowned author of plays for young audiences focuses on the brother and sister, creating powerful emotions.
Illustration: Poster for Moi, dans les ruines rouges du siècle. ©2013 NAC.
2013-04-09
Ottawa: NAC French Theatre unveils its 2013/14 season