Festhéa, the best of amateur theater

Like All Saints' Day and Halloween pumpkins, Festhéa is anchored in the autumn calendar: the national amateur theater festival ends on Saturday November 2, 2024 at L'Escale in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire, and this 39^e edition will remain as an excellent vintage, both in terms of the quality of the troupes scheduled and the attendance of the public.

Thirty-ninth edition and thirteenth in the large Saint-Cyr performance hall which offers 400 seats (with a capacity that can be pushed to 1,150 standing places), its retractable and extendable stage (72 m² at 120 m²), its dressing rooms, its master class rooms, its 230 m² reception hall²its bar area, its kitchen and its refectory. “It’s fabulous to be able to have this fantastic site that the City of Saint-Cyr is making available to us for eight days free of charge, as well as three technicians. It's unexpected! “, enthuses Monique Carriat, vice-president of the Festhéa association.

Regional troops impressed by the L’Escale room

An enthusiasm shared by Pierre Sarradin, secretary of the association: “When the troops discover the main room and the site, they are often very surprised. They are not used to performing in such professional conditions. »

Absent from the festival this year for health reasons, the president of Festhéa Sylvie Darras would also like to highlight “the logistical, human and financial support of the City of Saint-Cyr which allows the festival to continue and to be this unmissable event for theater lovers, artists and the public”.

An average of 250 spectators and sold-out evenings

This year, 20 troops from 16 regions are competing, including a company that traveled from Reunion Island. In total, 158 amateur actors will have performed on the stage of L'Escale and in the ten cities and towns which host decentralized shows.

“Every day, we have around a hundred actors on the site, it creates a real festival atmosphere, the troupes attend each other’s shows and mix with the public,” welcomes Monique. On average each performance (20 slots this year at L'Escale) attracts 250 spectators, but the venue has already sold out several times since the start of the festival.

Gold, silver and bronze towers for trophies

“This popular success can be explained, according to Peter, by the level of the troupes, the best in each region, which perform at Festhéa: they attract a demanding audience and this year we have a particularly high level. In certain plays, actors have a level that has nothing to envy of professionals. »

The last one will take place this Saturday evening, with the closing ceremony of the trophies. Three Tours of gold, silver and bronze which each year are made by companions of the Tour de France.

A spectator not quite like the others is attending the performances these days: Alain Dessaigne, the creator of Festhéa. It was in 1985. This retired speech therapist, who has managed several rooms in the past, has never taken to the stage. “It was my passion for theater that pushed me and a few friends to create this amateur theater festival. At the time it was at the Rives du Cher secular home, on the first floor of the premises. It was sporty! My ambition was already to show that people can push their passion to a very high level of perfection. »

Show (outside competition) and closing of the festival this Saturday, November 2, at 5 p.m., with the play “Les Cancans” by Carlo Goldoni, performed by the company l’Entracte de Louans (Indre-et-Loire). Information on the site festhea.fr