Ottawa, 23 January 2014 – It’s back to the classroom for dictation and a spelling test for Yann and Guillaume at the NAC Studio. Le projet pupitre, directed by Michel Lefebvre, features two cheerful schoolboys sitting down for a dictation exercise that takes an unexpected turn: suddenly their pencils spring to life, emitting all sorts of sounds. That’s all it takes for the overactive imaginations of the two boys, who launch into their own madcap musical dictation. And they’re off! This is a most unusual concert where a simple elastic band is transformed into a violin, where an ordinary pencil becomes an orchestra conductor’s baton. This performance of live music charms the ear with its diverse styles and sounds. Initially inspired by the themes of the dictations, the boys then zig and zag in all directions. An ode to the imagination presented at the NAC Studio on February 1 at 1:30 p.m. and February 2 at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. For children 5 and up.

This highly inventive and somewhat frenzied piece has what it takes to inspire liberty, letting the imagination run wild and tickling the neurons. And that’s because of the contact with the performers onstage who wholeheartedly throw themselves into the venture with whatever is at hand – pencils, paper and a few ordinary rubber bands, not to mention words, the words of the daily dictation, words capable of immediately firing their imaginations. Ready to have fun with these two?

 

Mélanie Dumont

Associate Artistic Director, Youth Programming

 

The performers are two multitalented actors/musicians. An artist who is very active in Sherbrooke, Yann Godbout established a reputation in the Montreal underground scene with the group Half Baked. As for Guillaume Lévesque, for many years he has been exploring ways of expanding forms of expression using human to machine dialogue. Their synergy onstage makes for surprising results!

 

A first version of Le projet pupitre was presented to an adult audience at a festival of electro-acoustic music. Adapted and reworked, this version for young audiences is still faithful to the world of electro-acoustic music, with a few additional beats! A musical and auditory treat. Enjoy!

 

It’s always nice to be completely surprised by a performance...

Michel Bélair Le Devoir

 

Extremely playful, the project impresses with the virtuosity of the performers Yann Godbout and Guillaume Lévesque, the story by Martin Messier and Jacques Poulin-Denis and the simple but precise direction by Michel Lefebvre.

David Lefebvre, montheatre.qc.ca

 

 

Concept: Martin Messier and Jacques Poulin-Denis // Directed by: Michel Lefebvre // Cast: Yann Godbout and Guillaume Lévesque // Set design: Véronique Bertrand // Lighting design: Renaud Pettigrew // Voice of the teacher: Laurence Dauphinais // Produced by: Youtheatre