Nipple_Jesusit is not only the title of the latest production that the Théâtre de la Bordée presents in its rehearsal room, in a 5@7 format, it is also the title of the controversial pictorial work that Dave (Charles-Étienne Beaulne ), a bar bouncer converted into a museum guard, has the task of monitoring and protecting.
This text by British writer and screenwriter Nick Hornby, skillfully adapted for Quebec by Samuel Corbeil, compares the complexity of contemporary art to that of human nature. In a monologue where the theatrical fourth wall is abolished, Dave recounts in colorful language and with expressive gestures that bring laughter the events of his life which led him to occupy this position. His story reveals the ingenious mental ballet of his love/hate impulses for the work in question as well as for its creator.
A completely invested character
Like the symptoms developed by victims of Stockholm or Lima syndrome, Dave, who immediately reacts very negatively to the painting, ends up feeling empathy for its creator and forming his own analysis of the work. and the intentions of the artist. Between journalists, politicians, radio columnists, the painter’s family and the public who came to admire, vilify or desecrate this object with its sulphurous overtones, Dave identified more and more with the work, to the point of making it his own. and to feel betrayed by an outcome which escapes his understanding and gives him the aftertaste of a disjointed puppet.
Charles-Étienne Beaulne, who performs his first career solo, takes on the character with great love. At least that’s what we feel from the room. This kind of burly individual, a little rustic and ill-equipped for life, reveals himself on stage with all his naivety, his affection for his offspring and his emotional ambiguity. Dave is somewhere between the fighting bull and the big fluffy bear; and Beaulne plays this ambivalence brilliantly.
An intimate atmosphere that arouses sympathy
Nathalie Séguin’s orchestration relies heavily on the performance of the actor who seems to have been directed with skill. The small, friendly stage of the Bordée rehearsal room allows little scenographic deployment, but conceals an intimacy that the lighting by Marie-Pier Faucher Bégin, the decor by Géraldine Rondeau and the sound design by Josué Beaucage help to refine.
This production by the company Les Sœurs Amar, which notably created for the theater, Nikki won’t die And Factory, plays here on the register of conciseness, humor and kindness. The main thread of the play is clear, the story amusing and the humanity of the character endearing. His questioning of art and its purpose, which follows the twists and turns of his convictions and which presides over the dramatic situation, sagaciously ignites the flame of reflection in the soul of the audience.
The room Nipple_Jesus is presented at the Théâtre de la Bordée until May 19, 2024. Tickets are on sale at this address: https://bordee.qc.ca/piece/nipple_jesus/
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