Behind the scenes of a participatory play designed with residents

See my news
Follow Le Démocrate Vernonnais

Everyone dreams of going on stage, but the closer the deadline approaches, the more anxiety increases, especially when you are an amateur actor.

For several months, residents of Vexin-sur-Epte, Bois-Jérôme-Saint-Ouen and other rural communities have been preparing for the big spectacle, accompanied by the Boréale company, from Vernon, in theYour.

Small group rehearsals

On the big day, everyone comes and goes on set. Some, present in the morning, help to set up decorations. Steve, the manager of the Espace Philippe-Auguste, in Vernon, regulates the sound and light. Cables run everywhere.

At the other end of the room, the singers rehearse with Mood, their coach. The actors do “italiennes” in small groups: this consists of saying the text quickly, without moving or too much expressiveness. A way to make the sequences more fluid.

Because everyone’s fear, apart from the memory lapse, is the response that arrives at the wrong time or… not at all, at the risk of destabilizing your partners.

“Don’t panic if this happens, the audience doesn’t know your text. If you make a mistake, move on, and never go back! »

In the backstage, behind huge black curtains, everyone has their own little corner with a seat in their name, an end of the table where they can place their accessories and a few personal belongings. This is called “the bet”. Above all, don’t touch your neighbor’s. Imagine that you had to enter the scene with a gun, a basket or a wig, and that at the fateful moment, you were looking everywhere for it.

» Play with the audience! “

At midday, there is a meal taken together. Annick prepared a Fouzitout salad, Lydie a quiche, Sandrine and Tatiana a cake, Valentin (or rather his wife) a chocolate mousse, the lazy people took care of the wine; As for Alain’s Camembert, it is as smooth as can be. At break time, we talk neither about the play nor its pitfalls. At least, we try.

Around 4 p.m., the actors gathered for the » spinning « .

Jessica describes the principle to them: “You quickly rehearse the whole show, setting the rhythm, but without the emotional charge. »

Before that, she takes stock of the previous day’s performance, responds to everyone’s doubts, encourages them: “To be an actor is to live in the present, it is to put oneself in the spectator’s place as if one were didn’t know what was going to happen in the room. For example, a gunshot is fired, you need to look panicked. The more we play with the audience, the funnier it is. Not everything has to be precise, have freedom in what you do, keep your spontaneity. »

» Shit, shit, shit! “

Some hiccups remain during spinning. Too bad. Ten minutes before the audience enters, Jessica asks the actors to form a circle around her, holding hands. Final recommendations: “Rhythm, fun, zero downtime!” » She makes them let out a cry that resembles the haka of the All Blacks and ends with a thunderous: “Shit, shit, shit! » It’s a tradition among artists.

The countdown is ticking. Some revise their text one last time. Others glance feverishly into the reception hall. Will the spectators be there? Not enough and your morale takes a hit, too much and it’s a race to add seats. Phew! Everything is fine, there are a hundred of them.

When the curtain rises – a way of speaking, because there isn’t one – the audience is in the room and even in the room. Let’s go for two hours of a show with a dizzying pace, with songs, videos, sound and fury. Land of men tells the drama of an 18-year-old boy who discovers the unsaid things surrounding his birth. He is played by Valentin Hector, the only professional actor in the troupe. His energy galvanizes his partners.

Two hours later, the spectators applaud the saluting troupe wildly. They won their bet… while having fun! It is no coincidence that we say actors that they play.

“Terre des hommes”, theatre. Last performance Saturday November 9 at 7 p.m. in the Ménilles village hall. Free.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.