The cross : How did the idea for this festival come about?
Brigitte Fossey : I have been working with Serge Sarkissian (author and director of the four shows presented, editor’s note) for about twelve years now, who is used to this kind of literary and spiritual shows, also including music. For a few years now, we have been giving readings in Avignon. Last year in particular, Serge gave Job or the wandering of the righteous at the Quartier Luna, where he met Stéphane Bacquet, and from their meeting was born the impetus for this festival. In fact, there was real harmony between the Quartier Luna, the management of the “off” and the diocese of Avignon, which provided its sponsorship.
A spiritual festival within the festival: have there been any precedents?
B. F. : Yes, this is what Jean Vilar had wanted since 1953, in harmony with Father Robert Chave, a priest who was in charge of Christian radio. This time, the festival was created in partnership with RCF Vaucluse, the local Christian radio.
Is it a literary, spiritual, Christian festival?
B. F. : Programming answers for itself. For example, in Sacred Readingthe one-woman show performed by Catherine Salviat, honorary member of the Comédie-Française, there are texts by Bernanos, Péguy, Claudel, who are giants of literature and faith. We will also hear the Song of Songs – performed by Céline Samie and Bernard Lanneau in Song of Songs, birth of desire –, which is pure poetry and an immense spiritual text. I find that there is poetry in the prophets, and prophecy in the poets. An inspiration in any case.
The book of Job is one of these great texts. In Job or the wandering of the righteous, the role of God was initially played by Michael Lonsdale (died in 2020, Editor’s note). Here he is represented by a voice, Michael’s recorded voice, his memory as it were. Michael Lonsdale is a bit like the godfather of this festival.
Tell us about the show you perform, The Passion of the Word ?
B. F. : It’s a show inspired by a book that we wrote with the actress Catherine Salviat and the pastor Marie Cénec, published by Serge Sarkissian. I’ve been performing it for a very long time, with varied texts. We add some, we take some away. This time, I’ll read poems by Baudelaire, Vigny, Hugo, Prévert, Desnos, Apollinaire, a very beautiful text by Gabriel Celaya on the Spanish Civil War… There will also be some more amusing poems. It’s like a poetic and spiritual anthology that covers many aspects of life, including the theme of exile. Serge, who is of Armenian origin, is particularly sensitive to this.
Where does this passion come from?
B. F. : The text that sparked my passion for the Word is the prologue of the Gospel of Saint John, heard at the age of 2 and a half or 3 while going to mass with my parents, when we lived in the North. I was thirsty to understand, I asked my father to explain it to me. I have always loved going to mass, especially to read the great texts, which carry a great deal of truth. They bear witness to the history and aspirations of an entire people, but for me they are also the seasons of the heart. That is why, in my show, I read a different Gospel every day, starting with the Prologue of John. I really like the Gospels, written by Jesus’ friends. Each time you listen to them, it’s like looking at the sea, it’s never the same thing.
Did poetry have an important place in your family?
B. F. : My father asked his future father-in-law for my mother’s hand in Alexandrines, and he answered in Alexandrines. So yes. Moreover, I was born in 1946, at the end of the war. My parents rejoiced in life: a birth was volcanic, cosmic! And they passed on to me this enthusiasm for life, for beauty. There comes a time when I have to pass on this enthusiasm. I believe that infinity is within reach, but we can only see the sky well if we are rooted in the earth. In this respect, the tree is the image of what humans should be. That is what I would like to pass on.
Why is it important to have this kind of place in Avignon?
B. F. : Avignon is the root of theater. For me, Jean Vilar is an absolute master, he lived in a small maid’s room but he believed in theater, a theater that reaches out to people. He set the bar very high! We are all a little in the wake of Jean Vilar, with this desire for decentralization, meetings, sharing. And in that, there is a place for spiritual theater.
Who is the festival for?
B. F. : To music lovers, to those who love beautiful texts, to children and adults alike. It’s a very eclectic festival, really open to everyone. Through this festival, we want to invite people to recharge their batteries, to meditate, to smile, and to laugh too.
