Louis Aragon, Pascal Brullemans, Italo Calvino, Olivier Choinière, Daniel Danis, Patrice Desbiens, Marguerite Duras, Tomson Highway, Alfred Jarry, Bernard-Marie Koltès, Agota Kristof, Alexis Martin, Émile Nelligan, Lars Norén, David Paquet, Georges Perec, Joël Pommerat, Raymond Queneau, Michel Tremblay, Marie Uguay, Anne-Marie White.

Their words, and those of many other writers from here and elsewhere, are the component elements of the first season program by Brigitte Haentjens as head of the National Arts Centre French Theatre. The unveiling of the 2012-2013 season, which took place today before a crowd of some 400 people, was an opportunity for the new artistic director to proclaim her love of the Word and its profound writings, her passion for language that is “mingled and manifold, novel and noisy, cacophonous at times, asking to be housed in a body”.

Inspired by the phrase I consider nothing that is human alien to me by the Latin poet Terence, Brigitte Haentjens and Mélanie Dumont, associate artistic director of the Children/youth program, have concocted a season of 22 plays that, at times onstage and at other times backstage, sometimes solemn yet often playful, call out to the stranger and also to the stranger within. It is that encounter, and the language and the sensations it generates, that brings theatre back to a very human reality.

HIGHLIGHTS

- A total of 22 plays (13 for general audiences, 6 for children and 3 for the youth)
- The latest work by Joël Pommerat in a North American exclusive. Reaffirming its commitment to creation, the French Theatre will be co-producing this presentation, about which nothing is yet known apart from the undeniable talent of the playwright and director
- The Canadian première of Zesty Gopher s’est fait écraser par un frigo, the French version of The (Post) Mistress by Tomson Highway, co-produced with the Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario, with Patricia Cano in the title role and Highway on piano
- Three adaptations of celebrated novels: La douleur, Le grand cahier and Rouge décanté
- Brigitte Haentjens directing two works: Le 20 novembre with Christian Lapointe, and La nuit juste avant les forêts with Sébastien Ricard
- Jusqu’où te mènera ta langue, a happening with texts by three local writers: Pierre Raphaël Pelletier, Catherine Voyer-Léger and Anne-Marie White
- The return of Nini Bélanger and Pascal Brullemans, who presented Beauté, chaleur et mort at the NAC in December 2011
- Two plays for young audiences by the renowned writer Daniel Danis
- The return of Zurbains, now in its 15th edition, which includes a story by Thomas Ginter of the Collège Nouvelles Frontières in Gatineau
- More flexible subscription formats, given that more plays are being presented and that some have limited seating

GENERAL AUDIENCES

Jusqu’où te mènera ta langue / ONE NIGHT ONLY
September 12 at 7:30 p.m. / Theatre
Written by Fanny Britt, Olivier Choinière, Sébastien David, Philippe Ducros, Emmanuelle Jimenez, Annick Lefebvre, Catherine Léger, Jean-François Nadeau, Dominick Parenteau-Lebeuf, Pierre Raphaël Pelletier, Catherine Voyer-Léger and Anne-Marie White
Artistic director: Martin Faucher
Produced by Festival du Jamais Lu

A happening with a dash of controversy and an emphasis on liberty. Onstage actors and writers are asked to loosen their tongues, leading to pieces that are magnificent, caustic, political, amusing and hilarious.

La douleur
September 26 to 29 at 8:00 p.m. / Studio
From a novel by Marguerite Duras / Directed by Patrice Chéreau and Thierry Thieû Niang
Produced by Les Visiteurs du Soir

One day Duras rediscovers the diary in which she had recorded her quest to find her husband, imprisoned in a concentration camp. She relives the anxiety of realizing upon his return that he is not the same, and that her feelings for him have changed.

Poésie, sandwichs et autres soirs qui penchent
October 3 to 6 at 7:30 p.m. / Theatre
Conceived and directed by Loui Mauffette
Produced by Attitude Locomotive

Seated around a huge table, the twenty guests may be wild and crazy at times but demonstrate that words still have the power to bring us together, striking a resonant chord. All the senses are invited to this ever-shifting banquet of staged poems.

Zesty Gopher s’est fait écraser par un frigo / CANADIAN PREMIÈRE
October 17 to 20 at 8:00 p.m. / Studio
Script, libretto and music by Tomson Highway / Directed by Geneviève Pineault
Produced by Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario and Théâtre français du Centre national des Arts

The postmistress Marie-Louise possesses a clairvoyant ability to divine the contents of the sealed letters that pass through her hands. She thus knows all the gossip about everyone in her community, and uses song to reveal the secrets of the local residents.

Invention du chauffage central en Nouvelle-France
November 14 to 17 at 7:30 p.m. / Theatre
Written by Alexis Martin / Directed by Daniel Brière
Produced by Nouveau Théâtre Expérimental

The characters are swept along by storms, snowfalls and other ravages of winter. A veritable mythology, the cold of a Canadian winter is presented as an appreciable force in this historical epic characterized by a mixing of styles and elements.

Le grand cahier
December 5 to 8 at 8:00 p.m. / Studio
From a novel by Agota Kristof / Adapted and directed by Catherine Vidal
Produced by Groupe Bec-de-Lièvre

The twins Klaus and Lukas take charge of their education, forbidding any sensitive feelings and noting their progress in a big notebook in cold, subjective fashion. Their unique and resourceful inventiveness echoes that of the director.

Rouge décanté
January 16 to 19 at 7:30 p.m. / Theatre
From a novel by Jeroen Brouwers / Directed by Guy Cassiers
Produced by Toneelhuis and Ro Theater

After his mother’s death, a man plunges into memories of pain and love. Magnified by live video projection, his distorted image is a portal into the depths of human suffering, but giving it voice offers comfort to a shattered life.

UBU sur la table
February 12 to 16 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. / Rehearsal Hall A
Based on Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry / Adapted, directed and performed by Olivier Ducas and Francis Monty
Produced by Théâtre de la Pire Espèce

The table is set, so make way for the grotesque in this small-scale fresco of grandiose buffoonery. In this scathing concoction the audience is a knowing accomplice of the plot twists, dangerous stunts and spectacular effects of this theatre of objects with no limits.

Oulipo Show
February 27 to March 2 at 8:00 p.m. / Studio
Written by Raymond Queneau, Italo Calvino, François Caradec, François Le Lionnais, Jean Lescure, Denis Marleau, Harry Mathews, Georges Perec and Michel Tremblay / Collage, direction and set: Denis Marleau
Produced by UBU compagnie de création

More than twenty years after the creation of this spectacle-performance, a virtuoso quartet exhibits the controlled lunacy of a feast of words whose humorous or derisory flights of fancy create a dazzling choreography of the endless possibilities of language.

Le 20 novembre
March 12 to 16 at 8:00 p.m. / Studio
Written by Lars Norén / Directed by Brigitte Haentjens
Produced by Sibyllines

We are witness to a murderous anger, a vicious consequence of our violent, blatant silence. This incandescent account of a sign of humanity is that of a young man on the threshold of adulthood whose entire life has been synonymous with exclusion.

Changing Room
April 3 to 6 at 8:00 p.m. / Studio
Written by Alexandre Fecteau, with Raymond Poirier / Directed by Alexandre Fecteau
Produced by Nous sommes ici

The Studio is transformed into a cabaret as several drag queens present their acts in diverse styles one after the other to the rhythm of pop music. The party continues backstage in an honest, playful intrusion that questions identity, authenticity and acceptance.

Création 2013 / Joël Pommerat / NORTH AMERICAN EXCLUSIVE
April 10 to 13 at 7:30 p.m. / Theatre stage in double proscenium configuration
Written and directed by Joël Pommerat
Produced by Compagnie Louis Brouillard and « Villes en scène/Cities on Stage » (Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe, Théâtre National de la Communauté française, Folkteatern, Teatrul National Radu Stanca and Teatro Stabile di Napoli Mercadante)
Co-produced by Théâtre français du Centre national des Arts, CNCDC de Châteauvallon, La Filature-Scène nationale de Mulhouse

The French Theatre reaffirms its commitment to new works by co-producing this piece, about which nothing is yet known apart from the undeniable talent of Pommerat, who constantly surprises with the theatrical potential of powerful plays made of simplicity.

La nuit juste avant les forêts
May 14 to 18 at 8:00 p.m. / Venue to be confirmed
Written by Bernard-Marie Koltès / Directed by Brigitte Haentjens
Produced by Sibyllines

He touches your arm and talks non-stop. You become witness to his distress, his scream of humanity. He takes your hand, he loves you, he’s looking for an angel in the midst of this madness, and you are there, as is the ever-falling rain.

CHILDREN

L’atelier / ages 5+
October 27 at 1:30 p.m. and October 28 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. / Studio
Concept and artistic director: Hélène Langevin
Produced by Bouge de là

For the duration of this wordless show composed of paintings brought to life by means of movement and various props, dance and the visual arts commingle and intersect, reinventing themselves as they express the irresistible desire to play and create.

La scaphandrière / ages 10+
December 1 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and December 2 at 1:30 p.m. / Studio
Written by Daniel Danis / Directed by Olivier Letellier
Produced by Théâtre du Phare

Immersed in photos, Pierre-Aimé speaks and talks his 10-year-old life, including in his narrative a story of pearl fishermen adrift, their greed matched only by the despair of poor people who plunge ever deeper in search of intoxicating illusions.

Les mécaniques célestes / ages 4+
December 22 at 1:30 p.m. and December 23 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. / Studio
Conceived and directed by Claudie Gagnon
Produced by Théâtre des Confettis

In a timeless space small moments are imbued with magic, mischievous pleasure and bursts of laughter, and everyone finds a safe haven. The only thing that can affect them is beauty… which begets surprise and rapture.

Édredon / 12 months to 5 years
January 26 and 27 at 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. / Studio
Conceived, directed and performed by Laurence P. Lafaille and Audrey Marchand
Produced by Les Incomplètes

She gets out of bed to explore a world of dreams and emotions, a journey that involves shadow play, movement and video. For like theatre, life begins with an encounter with the Other, pushing us beyond the familiar and the known.

Vipérine / ages 9+
February 2 at 1:30 p.m. and February 3 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. / Studio
Written by Pascal Brullemans / Directed by Nini Bélanger
Produced by Projet MÛ

Vipérine lives in the shadow of her dead sister. She decides to throw her ashes into the water, which means she must first venture into a shadowy realm. As a possibility for reconciliation, this serious yet at times amusing play is both a human and artistic quest.

Corbeau / ages 5+
April 27 at 1:30 p.m. and April 28 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. / Studio
Written by Jean-Frédéric Messier / Directed by André Laliberté
Produced by Théâtre de l’OEil

The wisecracking black angel Corbeau was once a pale white child but is now a prisoner of the skies. He tells his story to Nukum, who later tells it to her grandchildren before flying off on the wings of the raven.

YOUTH

Les Zurbains 15 ans / ages 14+
December 15 at 8:00 p.m. / Studio
Written by Marion Chassé, Martin Faucher, Thomas Ginter, Christophe Hamel and Eva Vandervort Charbonneau
Directed by Monique Gosselin, Sylvain Scott and Benoît Vermeulen
Produced by Théâtre Le Clou

Les Zurbains is a forum for young people to express their thoughts and feelings. Let their voices be heard! Their words are an opening salvo, a chance to discover imaginations full of candour, fiery spirit and searing intensity.

Kiwi / ages 12+
February 22 and 23 at 8:00 p.m. / Studio
Written by Daniel Danis / Directed by Guylaine Rivard
Produced by La Tortue Noire

Abandoned in a city that seeks to sweep away the destitute, Kiwi is welcomed into a community of young people who live a clandestine existence. Despite her difficult position, she shows how it is possible to dream of a brighter future.

Portes (qui inviter quand tout peut entrer ?) / ages 14+
March 22 and 23 at 8:00 p.m. / Studio
Written by David Paquet / Directed by Benoît Vermeulen
Produced by Théâtre Le Clou

Outside: bearded ladies, political corruption, unavowed injuries, a sneezing panda. Inside: Anna, Louis and Charlotte gazing at the door. Stopping for a moment does a world of good, and wanting to be loved doesn’t sound like a stupid idea.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Our subscribers enjoy exclusive benefits, including the selection of the best seats available,
the best prices, and the opportunity to exchange their tickets for free.
Contact the Box Office:
Online: www.nac-cna.ca/subscribe
By phone: 613 947-7000 x620 or 1 866 850-ARTS x620
In person: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
For more details, please visit the French Theatre’s website: www.nac-cna.ca/tf

 

SYLVAIN LAVOIE
Communications officer
French Theatre
tel: 613 947-7000 x396 / toll-free: 1 866 850-2787 x396 / cell: 613 979-2636
sylvain.lavoie@nac-cna.ca / www.facebook.com/TFduCNA