Seuls en Scène, Princeton French Theater Festival 2020

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Florent Masse, founder and artistic director of Seuls en Scène French Theater Festival, presents a recently recorded conversation with directors of productions from Festival d’Avignon, Festival d’Automne in Paris, and Comédie-Française to share an update on the situation of festivals and theaters in France at the beginning of the new theater season. The video was posted September 10-20.

In advance of welcoming Marion Siéfert’s production of "Du sale! (Real Shit!)" to Princeton at a later date, Seuls en Scène streams a film documenting the creative process behind the production. Last spring, during the pandemic, Marion Siéfert and her collaborator Mathieu Bareyre made the film as a "Letter to the Viennese" for Wiener Festwochen 2020 when it was evident "Du sale!" could not be performed live as scheduled at the renowned contemporary theater festival in Vienna. The video recording was available September 10-13. On September 13 at 4 p.m. (EDT), join us for a live conversation with Marion Siéfert and Mathieu Bareyre on Zoom in French following the online presentation of the film.

In a recent recording, Franco-Senegalese playwright and dramaturg Penda Diouf reads her most recent play about resilience that is both intimate and political, "Pistes (Tracks)." Directed by Aristide Tarnagda, this monologue about the courage to come face-to-face with one’s own demons is also a roadtrip across Namibia, site of the first genocide of the 20th century targeting the Herero and the Nama people. The reading is in French with an accompanying English translation of the script. The video recording was available September 11-14. On September 13 at 2:00 p.m. Diouf and Tarnagda will host a live conversation via Zoom in French.

Exclusively for Seuls en Scène 2020, French theater artists Sandy Ouvrier and Astrid Bayiha read a few of their favorite tragic scenes by Jean Racine, centered on unrequited love. The recently recorded reading is presented in French. The video recording was posted from September 12-20.

Far from any Marivaux-like literary flourishes, this production brings us words spoken in a direct, unflinching way on the subject of marital dispute and the premonition of the break-up. Given that they are the ones best placed to talk about it – though rarely listened to – writer and director Mohamed El Khatib invited children of parents who have split up to take to the stage and share their points of view, based on interviews conducted over several months with around 100 8-year-olds from different backgrounds. The video recording was available September 13-16. A live conversation in French with El Khatib will be hosted via Zoom on September 16 at 4:45 p.m.

Using archival material and documentary inquiry as her starting point, Émilie Rousset’s performative research projects explore theatrical potential in the gap between original documentation and its representation. She has collaborated with filmmaker Louise Hémon on the “Rituels” series, an evolving collection of films and performances which probe the rites of society by drawing upon the respective codes of theater and documentary cinema. Le Grand Débat recreates a televised debate using a collage of archives from presidential debates taking place between 1974 and 2017 through three short films and a recorded performance with humor an essential component. Recorded live at the Festival d’Automne in French. The video recording was presented Sept. 15-19. A recorded conversation in French with Rousset and Hémon will be presented on September 18 at 4:45 p.m.

In his first production aimed at audiences young and old, Jonathan Capdevielle tackles Hector Malot’s Sans famille, a vibrant classic of French literature. Based on this rite of passage novel, the show recounts the uplifting events in the life of Rémi, an orphan sold to a warm-hearted artist. Little by little, the sound in this immersive adaptation makes the act of listening an increasingly important element of the production, paving the way for the shift from image to audio fiction. This event is family-friendly and suitable for all ages. The recording of the live event is presented in French. The video recording was posted on September 18-20. A live conversation in French with director Capdevielle will be hosted via Zoom on September 20 at 3:00 p.m.