From June 5 to 9, Le Théâtre des Fonds de Tiroirs and Trois Tristes Tigres present at the Espace Transmission Playground: I really like what I see. Are you going out? attended the first performance.
It is a hybrid work to which Are you going out? attended this Wednesday, June 5. The piece is inspired by Gutai and Fluxus, two founding artistic movements in the history of contemporary art. The text is by Olivier Kemeid and, on the direction side, we find Frédéric Dubois. The piece that is revealed to us refers to significant performances by the avant-gardes of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
From the start, the viewer is invited to become an integral part of the work. Meet at 5435 Avenue des Érables, Espace address. It all starts outside the building: everyone must find a corner that inspires confidence. One of the actresses then asks the spectators to record the sound around them, then it’s time to enter the room.
The place that presents itself to us is like a large playground where everyone is invited to daydream and transpose themselves to where they would like to be. Like the performance, nothing really makes sense, various objects are stored and an actor waits for us seated, alone, on a sofa.
The phone rings. The play can begin. Various characters then appear before us, the first two evoking art… What is abstract, what is really concrete? What is the true meaning of art? Conversations quickly wander. One of the artists talks about her passion for classical music, another tells us about suicidal tragedies in train stations…
Ode to freedom
Nothing really makes sense but everyone is inhabited by their thoughts, their doubts and their questions.
“Don’t kill your thoughts in politics, don’t kill your thoughts in words,” proclaims one of the characters.
A true ode to freedom, the actors invite us to be who we want to be, to think as we want to think, to daydream, to play, to get lost, to doubt…
The characters then challenge each other. Suddenly, an actress starts making a salad. Another slathers his face full of honey. Distractions are everywhere. In every corner of the room, funny scenes occur.
Photo by Sean Scobbie.
The public is then invited to take out their phone. It’s time to listen to the recordings made at the start of the show. The sound of the birds that surrounded us outside is then offered to us. It’s pleasant and amusing at the same time. From the viewers’ side, this moment gives the impression of playing a role in the play.
Everything is in perpetual motion, nothing is fixed, which makes each performance all the more alive.
Is there a real meaning to what we see, what we hear? What is the point of all this? We come out of this room without any real answer, but with a lighter mind and disconnected from the seriousness of our daily life.
The play is performed at the Espace Transmissions until June 9. Link to ticket office here.
