Description

What a joy for the team to perform Alexis Michalik's very first show, written and directed by himself.<div> On a rainy night, deep in the Ardennes, Martin must bury his father. Little does he know that the discovery of a handwritten notebook will lead him on a dizzying quest through history and across continents. Fifteen years later, in the heart of the Algerian desert, a mother and her daughter mysteriously disappear.</div><div> They were drawn in by the tale of a stranger, searching for a pile of books bearing a strange chalice, and a colossal treasure, accumulated through the ages by a legendary secret society.</div><div> Between nested narratives, time travel, family secrets and romantic adventures, The Storyteller takes the viewer on a fascinating theatrical epic where each story hides another.</div><div><br></div><div> A word from the author/director:</div><div> <em>"The Storyteller is a reflection on the role of storytelling in our lives and its importance.</em></div><div> <em>How can one explore, through a performance, a multitude of storytelling modes? To do so, I chose five actors: three men and two women; five stools, a bare stage, and two costume racks. The five actors embody an unlimited number of fictional or historical characters. As the story unfolds, they become both driving forces and narrative instruments.</em></div><div> <em>First, I began by telling each actor the story I had in mind, thus perpetuating the oral tradition of storytelling and narrative. In doing so, I developed my own story through the interviews. I then assigned the roles, and rehearsals began. I used guided improvisations to create fragile and vibrant scenes, almost always on the edge. I recorded the results of our workdays with a dictaphone, then went home to rewrite the scene, enriched by the contributions of the "characters," as if they truly existed.</em></div><div> – Alexis Michalik –</div><div><br></div><div> <u>Did you know that?</u></div><div> Created in 2011, The Storyteller was awarded two Molière Awards in 2014, for Best Author and Best Director. Since 2012, the show has been performed over 4,000 times in France and internationally, from San Francisco to Beirut, via Nouméa and Tahiti. Driven by virtuoso direction, the audience is swept away in a hypnotic journey through several eras and a multitude of colorful characters.</div><div> It is thanks to Roxane Le Texier, a member of the troupe of La Comédie des Alpes and also present within the team of Alexis Michalik in Paris — notably in Les Producteurs — that the company was able to forge a privileged link with the director, who gave us the immense privilege of recreating his show with our team.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>