April 12, 2012
Jonathan kisses Latifa in the schoolyard. It is love at first sight and a shock wave for all who witness it – the girls and boys, the teachers and the principal – a passion that, like an eclipse observed with the naked eye, leaves them stunned, dazzled by the impact. Combining elements of the video clip and the oratorio, this incandescent presentation boldly blends poetry, dance and... Read more
March 29, 2012
“When I was a little tiny boy… when I was a little tiny girl… when I was a little tiny fish in the sea… a little tiny fish in my mother… I was just a wee bit of a boy… a wee bit of a girl.” Thus begins the play, the words spoken by a chorus telling the tale of a life, the before and after, back when Marguerite was but a glimmer, a tiny promise of a... Read more
March 26, 2012
A play that met with great acclaim at the Avignon Festival in July 2009, Photo-Romance is a comic and critical evocation of contemporary Lebanon presented in the form of an animated photo story. Born in the late 1960s, the artists Lina Saneh and Rabih Mroué grew up during the civil war. In this piece, which is making its North American début at the NAC, they are “both the same... Read more
March 21, 2012
Once upon a time there were three brave children: First, the wounded one, neglected by her parents; Second, the trusting one, serene but far too obedient; And third, the handicapped one, the object of cruel taunts. One day they decided to make a break for the great ocean, to breathe deeply, to wash away hurt, fear and disability, to follow their childhood dreams of freedom. Iode Ssouvie and her... Read more
March 5, 2012
In the heart of a beautiful province lives a shattered man who is “hanging on despite the in spite ofs.” He dreams of his idea of perfect happiness: a little white house by the water, the sky, the sea. Like a vintage Stradivarius, his soul emits a particular harmony whenever he utters certain names. His own name is Gaetan Desrosiers-Blanc. Born with two hearts, Gaëtan,... Read more
March 2, 2012
The Laboratoires du Théâtre français is an annual event, an opportunity for ongoing training for artists from across Canada. Established by artistic director Denis Marleau, these master classes invite artists of international stature to come share their professional knowledge and skills and to work, question and explore various approaches with other theatre professionals. These... Read more
February 22, 2012
With temperatures abnormally high for the season, the bears in the zoo where Sacha works suffer from insomnia. He is also taking care of Marcus, a boy recently carried by the wind into his life. Poor Sacha the zookeeper tries as best he can to look after Marcus and to provide relief to the bears. If only winter would return, and if only Anita, the love of his life, would come back from her... Read more
February 16, 2012
“The man who laughs has simply not yet had the terrible news,” wrote Bertolt Brecht, whose Threepenny Opera hasn’t been presented at the Théâtre français since the 1984 version directed by André Brassard. The incoming artistic director of the Théâtre français will be remounting the piece with a mind to restore its original ferocity,... Read more
January 30, 2012
A woman alone in the middle of a major thoroughfare in a big city, in the middle of the chaos of rush hour. She is on the lookout for the world, and all she can see is the absence of a world that never appears. She dreams of the day when she will finally be able to scream, “Land ho!”, to cry out, “Life ahead!” – but nothing but birds, so many birds! These are the... Read more
January 10, 2012
Petit Rocher doesn’t fit in with the other members of his clan and can’t stand their quiet life spent gazing out to sea. He is one wretchedly unhappy rock! What makes him even more miserable is that at any time of day or night, as soon as he closes his eyes he sees a big red rock with a hole on one side. An irresistible desire grabs hold of him, and he dreams of going away, of leaving... Read more