The Pulsion Théâtre looks like a theatrical UFO, far from the mercantile dealings of a large number of Off theatres.
La Marseillaise | J.-L. Shawls | The impulses of creation
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La Marseillaise of the VAUCLUSE

Sunday 20 July 2003

AVIGNON, LA CHRONIOUE DU OFF BY JEAN-LOUIS CHÂLES .

 

THE IMPULSES OF THE HEART AND OF CREATION

A few metres from the rue de la Carreterie, nestled along the Rempart Saint-Lazare at N°56, sheltered from the bustle of the Festival,

The Pulsion Théâtre looks like a theatrical UFO, far from the mercantile dealings of a large number of Off theatres.

To perform here, you don't have to rent the theatre. All you have to do is to be approved by Maria Ducceschi, who adds to her activities as an actress, author, director and teacher the more perilous task of managing the theatre. Here, there is no discrimination: the programming is eclectic, with the only common denominator being contemporary creation in all its forms. A fine example of risk-taking and open-mindedness. From 10am until 11.30pm, no less than 9 shows follow one another in a rare conviviality, a mutual respect between the troupes where any notion of competition is naturally excluded. A short tour of this pretty, well-equipped, tiered hall and a meeting with a clear-eyed woman who does not hesitate to invest her fees earned in the cinema or on television to "encourage" the creators she believes in.

THE INNOCENTS OR 16 BLACK NOSED

Why, in our so-called civilised societies, are we so afraid of nudity? Sex, in spite of its alleged evolution, is still a mysterious, shameful object, which is mentioned in the fattest jokes and shown in close-up (with double parental code) in porn films. On television, it is a hit. They talk about it a lot, but they invite a plethora of shrinks, doctors, tie-dyed men and women, or a jolly host, as if to defuse an improbable bomb.

David Noir castigates this shameful hypocrisy and exposes his actors to construct venomous images of a human zoo that has lost its bearings, its true values. An intoxicated author of shocking, luxuriant phrases, he manipulates words and sentences to strike actors and spectators in the stomach. He denounces as others breathe. Because otherwise he suffocates. After The RighteousIn the wake of last year's hard-hitting show, he offers a more reframed Innocents, wrapped in the white cotton wool of bolsters, pillows, sheets or long cotton shirts. Here there is no splattering, the blood flows inside the bodies, irrigates the words, arouses the desires. The adult actors become once again the children we have forgotten to be, embedding themselves in each other, or chewing their solitude in the background. A few songs (with very successful arrangements) whip up our decision-makers (from Jean-Michel Ribes to the subsidy givers), each actor takes a pithy word, as if in a sentence, a call for help. We sketch a dance step, like schoolchildren in a playground, we open the door to our wildest dreams. We give them body and soul. With a mocking sadness, a gentle provocation. The extraordinary ease, the discreet aplomb of the whole company is to be commended. Out of modesty, they hardly leave us time to applaud this astonishing carnal and disturbing show that cleanses our prejudices. Afraid of thanks? If we can't clap our hands, let's not hesitate to take part in this party. Between nightmare and fulfilled fantasy.

J.-L. C.

Les Innocents, or 16 à nez noir, at 10pm. Reservations 04.90.86.36.83

 

MARIA DUCCESCHI : « I WANT TO REMAIN FREE TO MAKE MY OWN CHOICES ))

"I have been attending the Off Festival for many years. I was tired of always looking for a venue. I didn't want to ask anyone for anything. With Staf Aichouche, a professional stage manager, we said to ourselves ." We'll take a place we choose ourselves ». He will manage the technical part. I will handle the artistic side".

Some theatre owners in the Place de l'Horloge were keen to have Maria take charge of their theatre, having understood her professionalism and pugnacity. But Maria refused to run a theatre-office. By this she means a theatre that simply rents out a slot (often at a prohibitive price) with little regard for the quality or timeliness of its programming. With these ideas in mind, last year she opened the Pulsion Théâtre, invested a lot of money and offered co-production contracts to companies that she chose according to her preferences.

"This year I have seen 134 plays... without asking myself what genre they belong to. I myself have performed a very varied repertoire: from the most raunchy comedy to the most abstruse texts. What is important is the collective emotion that a show generates. I have built my programme in this spirit, with people who want to share a family adventure with me, in the strongest sense of the term. I don't want friends, but friends. Here you can applaud both Danièle Evenou and David Noir. They live their profession in the same way. They are what they do. Long live diversity. The public is not necessarily unified in its knowledge ».

One suspects the financial risks involved. The current social situation, which has cut short this 2003 edition of the Festival, further feeds the "broth" in which such a stance can drown: So why not ask for help from the government or municipal authorities? Maria's light green eyes turned to stormy skies.

« I don't want any subsidies. I want to be free to make my own choices and mistakes. I am not being pressured. Of course I would like to earn money at the Festival to finance ourselves. But money is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Let's stop renting venues, let's find a way to federate. This system cannot continue. ».

Of course people are worried about the future of the Pulsion Théâtre. But already some big names have said they want to do their work there: Feodor Adkine, Harcourt, Thomas Le Douarec... Maria takes her leave. She has to return to the theatre to ensure that the public is well received between the end and the beginning of each show. There are only three of them to run the place. If their faces are obviously tired, beautiful stars shine in their eyes. Stars that shine in the eyes of all those who work with true freedom of spirit and conscience. A freedom that Maria pays a high price for. She does not care.

Interview by Jean-louis CHÂLES

David Noir

David Noir, performer, actor, author, director, singer, visual artist, video maker, sound designer, teacher... carries his polymorphous nudity and his costumed childhood under the eyes and ears of anyone who wants to see and hear.

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