Ottawa, 2 April 2015 - Marie-Eve Huot is a highly talented young artist, and in her play Nœuds papillon, the writing and staging are very personal, rich with the desire to evoke dreams, pluck and courage. All of these the young heroine at the heart of the tale will need as she copes with the absence of her father, who died too young. This is the small story of Amélie, age 11, plus the big story of aviation – dynamic fliers like Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh – which was her father’s passion. This striking and moving show will be presented for children aged 8 and up at the NAC Studio on April 11 at 1:30 p.m. and on April 12 at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.  

The sky has always stirred the imagination of men, from Icarus to Lindbergh by way of Leonardo da Vinci and Saint-Exupéry. Are not children also thrilled by the sight of a kite, a helicopter or an airplane streaking across the sky? Don’t they all dream of one day becoming a pilot?

Marie-Eve Huot, playwright and director

Onstage are two actors and a dancer. Klervi Thienpont and Nicolas Germain-Marchand play the roles of Amélie and her father, while Marie-Eve Quilicot presents with nimble grace a series of fleeting images as she incarnates the aviator Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Nœuds papillon pays tribute to those who have gone before us as it sketches a portrait of rich possibilities. An ode to life, to the passion of simply being alive.

In the work she has done with her company, Théâtre Ébouriffé, Marie-Eve Huot treats her audience with respect, crediting them with intelligence and sensitivity. In this piece especially she speaks to them in vibrant language, guides them one step at a time along the path of resilience, and introduces them to free and adventurous spirits such as Amelia Earhart and other extraordinary individuals without whom hope would not survive. And she weaves all these elements together with evocative staging in a skillful combination of simplicity and subtlety.

Mélanie Dumont, Associate Artistic Director, Youth Programming

Written and directed by: Marie-Eve Huot // Performed by: Nicolas Germain-Marchand, Marie-Eve Quilicot and Klervi Thienpont // Assistant director: Manon Claveau // Set design: Cédric Lord // Lighting: Nicolas Fortin // Sound: Benoit Landry // Costumes: Geneviève Bouchard

Produced by: Théâtre Ébouriffé

Duration / 50 minutes

Pre-Show Activities

Families are invited to join in the pre-show activities in the Studio lobby 45 minutes before the performance. Young and old alike can take flight as they pursue their dreams, passions and inspirations aboard makeshift airplanes they themselves concoct with objects at hand. Also available in the lobby is the Book Nook, established in association with the Ottawa Public Library. It gives children of all ages the opportunity to discover books related to the themes of the performance.