2024-06-30 20:10:29
On September 11 and 12, the oldest and most prestigious French troupe Comédie-Française will open this yr’s Pilsen Worldwide Theater Pageant. He’ll current his newest manufacturing entitled Hecuba, no Hecuba, directed by the revered Portuguese playwright and director Tiago Rodrigues, who’s in any other case the director of the Avignon Pageant.
The troupe, whose historical past started already within the instances of Molière, will current the play worldwide for the primary time in a classical theater constructing, particularly within the Nice Theater in Pilsen. Till then, it can solely be performed within the open air, the organizers emphasize.
The manufacturing, on one stage, tells a narrative from historic Greek mythology about Hecuba, the widow of the final Trojan king, Priam. She misplaced her husband, throne and kids through the fall of Troy. Nonetheless, concurrently this line, the story of the actress who’s at present portraying Hecuba within the tragedy of the identical title by the traditional Greek dramatist Euripides is unfolding on the stage. A court docket investigation interferes with the manufacturing’s rehearsals, wherein the actress seeks redress for her autistic son, who was a sufferer of abuse.
“It is going to be the theatrical occasion of the yr. It’s a nice honor for us that we are able to take part as co-producers within the creation of the most recent manufacturing of the Comédie-Française and that we’ll welcome this prestigious ensemble. It’s an appreciation of our title on the worldwide stage, the dramaturgy and the power to supply internet hosting,” he declares the director of the Pilsen present, Jan Burian, who’s in any other case the top of the Nationwide Theater in Prague.
In accordance with Burian, the competition has been attempting for a number of years to current a manufacturing by Tiago Rodrigues. “Due to our long-term contacts with the Avignon Pageant, we acquired a suggestion to co-produce his new enterprise final yr,” he explains, explaining the way it was potential to incorporate the Parisian ensemble in this system of this yr’s thirty second version.
Whereas engaged on a earlier manufacturing in Switzerland, the 47-year-old Portuguese playwright and director began following a case within the media in regards to the abuse of autistic kids positioned in protecting establishments.
Directed by Tiago Rodrigues. | Photograph: Christophe Raynaud de Lage
“I turned to the mother and father of the kids and wrote a fictional story about it. I used to be impressed by articles and wider analysis on how we as a human society defending democratic values nonetheless neglect and are helpless within the face of violations of the essential rights of susceptible folks, whether or not they’re autistic, deprived , or just outdated. And in Euripides’ Hecuba, the query of justice is intently linked with the query of vulnerability,” explains Rodrigues.
The manufacturing can have its world premiere this Sunday, June 30, on the Avignon Pageant, and after a French and European tour, the Comédie-Française will carry out it subsequent yr on the Salle Richelieu, considered one of its three halls in Paris.
The ensemble was based in 1680 with Moliere’s actors by King Louis XIV. and enjoys the popularity of being the oldest nonetheless energetic theater firm on this planet. Every season, he presents round thirty productions on three Parisian phases and excursions. It alternates between classical and up to date repertoire. The members of the ensemble made a number of visitor appearances in Prague, for the primary time in 1936, then in 1975, 1999 and 2009.
From September 11 to 19, the Pilsen Theater Pageant may even current different distinctive overseas productions and, historically, a variety from what was created on home phases through the previous season. It’ll embrace free open-air performances, debates and exhibitions.
The organizers will publish the whole program in July. Tickets for each Comédie-Française performances at the moment are on sale.