December 6-9 at 8 p.m., NAC Studio Azrieli

Added performance Saturday December 9 at 4 p.m.

 

OTTAWA, November 27, 2017 – Buenos Aires, 1941. A poet has barely started his job as concierge of the forbidden library when he is incarcerated by Inspector Barracuda. In a sordid setting, to the sinister strains of the milonga, he realizes that his captor is a character from one of his own seditious tangos. In the capable hands of Denis Plante, Sébastien Ricard and Brigitte Haentjens, the narrative, a fluid blend of reality and fantasy, is transformed into a stunning show that is both poetic and political.

“I am perhaps misled by old age and fear, but I suspect that the human species—the only species—is teetering on the brink of extinction, while the library—enlightened, solitary, infinite, perfectly unmoving, armed with precious volumes, pointless, incorruptible, and sacred—will endure.”

Jorge Luis Borges

Text and music by Denis Plante // Directed by Brigitte Haentjens and Sébastien Ricard // With Sébastien Ricard // Musicians Matthieu Léveillé (guitar), Francis Palma (bass), Denis Plante (bandoneon) // Lighting design: Martin Sirois // Lighting operation: Éric Le Brec’h // Sound operation: Maxime Lambert // Marionette design: Madeleine Plante // Choreographic collaboration: Bobby Thomson // Production direction: Sébastien Béland // Administrative direction: Xavier Inchauspé

Produced by: Sibyllines

Based on a work created by Denis Plante for Tango Boréal