A little girl makes a sketch of the ocean, and dreams of crossing it. She gets so caught up in her dream that suddenly the ocean disappears and she is separated from her mother. She then meets someone who agrees to help her, a sea captain who plunges into his imagination and consults a mysterious mermaid. From the other side of the dried-up sea, the girl’s mother calls frantically to them with her song. In an effort to fill the void the mother weeps, her tears tiny drops of the ocean that lies buried within us.

Playful, highly visual and performed virtually without words, Le Chant de la mer (The Song of the Sea) is a poetic, gentle and touching tale that is full of humour and melancholy, a piece that focuses on water and all its mysteries. Water is an important issue in the media, and the preservation of this precious natural resource should be a top priority for one and all. Yet what happens when we take a different look at water? Is water not the mirror of our fears, our dreams, our memories, our joys and sorrows – in short, of everything we are deep down? In this touching tale, Nuages en pantalon – compagnie de création explores our intimate and sensitive bond with water and demonstrates that it is very much who we are – our language, our very being.

Le Chant de la mer is part of projet EAU, a trilogy which also consists of L’Ivresse des profondeurs and Réminiscence.

Under the artistic direction of Jean-Philippe Joubert, each performer is involved in writing, directing, set design and performing every show. During the creative process, the company places major emphasis on the body and movement. The body is the vehicle of our intimacy, our imagination, our social and physical environment. It defines the frontier between private and public space, just as theatre is the public space for intimacy. The company’s plays are built around images created by the body in space, the catapult for the story.

Nuages en pantalon aims for a close relationship with the audience. During the creative process, it invites spectators to public rehearsals and is nourished by their responses. This approach is complemented by exhibits linked to performances and workshops with children. It seeks to be a vibrant member of the community, using art to stimulate additional spheres of reflection. The company has been touring in other regions since 2004, and now has a dozen shows in its repertoire.

Founded in Quebec City in 2001, Nuages en pantalon – compagnie de création brings together artists from different disciplines, all working with actors and the expressive possibilities of the body. The various artistic disciplines influence each other, with all aspects of the performance developing simultaneously in presentations that are aimed at contemporary audiences, both young and old.

Performances during the week are reserved for school groups, with weekend performances open to the public. Note that spectators are welcome to arrive up to 45 minutes before the show to take part in an activity for children.

Written and directed by
JEAN-PHILIPPE JOUBERT
assisted by the members of the creative team

Created and performed by
DANIÈLE BELLEY
LAURIE-ÈVE GAGNON
SONIA MONTMINY
OLIVIER NORMAND

Music and Sound design
MATHIEU CAMPAGNA

Set and Props
CLAUDIA GENDREAU

Costumes and Accessories
JULIE MOREL

Lightning and Video projection
JEAN-PHILIPPE JOUBERT

Stage Manager
MICHELLE BOUCHARD

Creative Consultant
VALÉRIE LAROCHE

Produced by
NUAGES EN PANTALON – COMPAGNIE DE CRÉATION

Presented in collaboration with
Radio-Canada

School Matinées
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14 at 9:45 a.m.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14 at 12:45 p.m.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15 at 9:45 a.m.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16 at 9:45 a.m.

Public Performances
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17 at 1:30 p.m.*
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18 at 1:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18 at 3:30 p.m.

*Post-performance talkback session hosted by Benoît Vermeulen

Timing
45 minutes with no intermission

NAC STUDIO
53 Elgin, Ottawa

Tickets
$13.96

NAC Box Office
(Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.)
www.nac-cna.ca

Ticketmaster
1-888-991-2787

Groups (10 persons or more)
613-947-7000, ext. 634
grp@nac-cna.ca

Subscriptions
613-947-7000, ext. 620

Sylvain Lavoie
Communications Officer
French Theatre
National Arts Centre
tel.: 613-947-7000 ext 396
tool free: 1-866-850-2787 ext 396
cell.: 613-979-2636
sylvain.lavoie@nac-cna.ca
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