Encore la vie

Encore la vie could be the literal and awkwardly touching translation of Still life. Although a still life may represent just a little fruit in a dish, it nonetheless has a special place in art, through the experience to which it invites the viewer.
The extreme banality of the subject, from which all temptations of representation are excluded, is far removed from what is spectacular or picturesque.
The object represented, with no particular beauty, is not at the Centre of what is played out between the work and the viewer and which id found elsewhere.
There is nothing to distract our attention from what is essential, that is, the painting itself – the work of the artist and his use of materials, the traces of his life and his craft that are left behind.

In our work on this project with the TaCTuS ensemble, we take this aesthetic point of view as the beginning of a possible encounter between music and juggling.
Plunging into the sensuality and the evocative richness of our respective fields, we limit them to familiarity, banality, a ball that we exchange from hand to hand, a hammer striking a metal circle or a skin stretched over a piece of wood.
During our collaboration, we sought to build an object that would hold by the strength of its style and its ability to awaken the viewer’s attention, to arouse his desire, with the power of evocation inherent to our respective mediums.

Texts and stage direction : Nicolas Mathis
Musical direction : Paul Changarnier
With :
With Collectif Petit Travers jugglers :
Neta Oren, Bogdan Illouz, Bastien Dugas, Taïchi Kotsuji
Musicians of the Ensemble TaCTuS :
Ying-Yu Chang, Paul Changarnier, Quentin Dubois, Pierre Olympieff, Raphaël Aggery, Théo His-Mahier (alternating performances)

Original music : Paul Changarnier
Juggling rehearsal : Julien Clément
Lighting design : Alix Veillon
Sound : Vincent Le Meur
Scenography : Nicolas Mathis et Thibault Thelleire
Set construction : Olivier Filipucci et Thibault Thelleire
Paintings : Camille Davy
Costumes : Sigolène Petey

Running time : 1h
Suitable for 8+
Creation october 2019 at the Théâtre Molière -> Sète, scène nationale archipel de Thau

Production associate : Théâtre Molière -> Sète, scène nationale archipel de Thau

Co-production : Collectif Petit Travers ; Ensemble TaCTuS ; Théâtre Molière -> Sète, scène nationale archipel de Thau ; Le Vellein – scènes de la CAPI, Villefontaine ; CCN2-National Choreography Centre Grenoble as part of the Accueil studio ; Domaine d’O, Montpellier ; Le Train-Théâtre, Portes-Lès-Valence ; The Marcel, Sète

Funding supports and residence hosts : Plateforme 2 National Circus Centres in Normandie, La Brèche in Cherbourg – Cirque Théâtre d’Elbeuf ; La Cascade, Bourg Saint Andéol, Pôle National Ardèche / Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ; Les Subsistances, Lyon

Supported by : Ministry of Culture national commission ; Spedidam ; Bergerault Percussions Contemporaines.