Olivier Py, who has been directing the Festival d'Avignon since 2013, directed the last Festival d'Avignon. He presents "Ma jeunesse Exaltee" (Gymnase au lycee Aubanel at 2 p.m. on July 8-15), "a transmission piece", a passage of relay, which lasts ten hour! It will be performed where "The Servant", the original show that launched it, was played twenty-seven year ago. This show lasted twenty-four hour. For thirty years, the same Olivier Py has worn the dresses of Miss Knife as his female alter ego. Transvestism has become a commonplace: "Today it is with my family that we go to Miss Knife, and that brings me joy. Miss Knife will perform a special recital at Opera Grand Avignon in her final festival on July 26 with the Beninese Angelique kidjo and Dakh Daughters from Ukraine.
As soon as the Festival d'Avignon is over, Tiago Rodrigues will be the Festival d'Avignon's new director. Festival-goers first met him in 2015 with "Antonio e Cleopatra", then in 2017 with "Sopro". He had also climbed last summer with Isabelle Huppert in Cour d'Honneur La Cerisaie, by Chekhov. He will be there this year as an author. Anne Theron, the director, built her show using a text he wrote: "Iphigenie" Opera Grand Avignon, July 7, to 13,
Festival opens with the show in the Cour d'Honneur de Palais des Papes. The Russian Kirill Serebrennikov won this honor, his film "Tchaikovsky’s Wife" having opened the Cannes Film Festival last year. It is a translation of Chekhov's short story "The Black Monk" (Cour d'Honneur du Palais des Papes July 7-15). The performance will be in German, English, and Russian with French and English subtitles. This protester, son to a Ukrainian father and Ukrainian mother, whose positions for democracy or LGBT were criticized by the Russian authorities many times, is a symbol
Jean Vilar laughed at festival programmers who decide to play a Shakespeare play because they lack the right ideas. He edited "The Tragedy of King Richard II", Henry IV, "Macbeth", and "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The great Will cannot be ignored. Its faithful will have the opportunity to see "Richard II", a performance by Christophe Rauck (Gymnase du lycee Aubanel) this summer. The Nanterre-Amandiers Theater's new director is well-versed in the great Shakespearean frescoes. Cecile Garcia-Fogel and Micha Lescot were involved in the distribution. Another Shakespeare, but this time in Italian with French subtitles, "La Tempesta", ("The Tempest"), was directed by Alessandro Serra, the TeatroPersona director (Opera Grand Avignon July 17-23).
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Two shows are planned for festival-goers who bring their children to Avignon. Igor Mendjisky presents a loose adaptation from the Brothers Grimm's story in which two starving children are lost in the forest and eat gingerbread houses of cannibalistic witches ("Gretel Hansel, the others"), July 8-11, starting at 7 years. Another children's story, "Little Red Riding Hood", is also found in the same spot, but Das Plateau prefers to take inspiration from the Grimm brothers version, which is more optimistic than the one by Perrault. The wolf eats the grandmother, but the little girl is able to rescue her with the help a hunter. From July 15-18, at 4 years of age
The festival shows, except for "Ma jeunesse exaltee", which is by Olivier Py have reasonable durations. The complete "Nest of Ashes", composed by Simon Falguieres should run thirteen hours with intermission (La Fabrica, July 9-16). The program announces, "A river show is a challenge only the brave can take on", Actes Sud Papiers publishes the text.
Two readings will be held at the Maison Jean Vilar to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Gerard Philipe's and Maria Casares's 1922 birth. The first reading, which is based on letters and press clippings as well as excerpts from performances, concerns his relationship with Maria Casares (July 11, 11 a.m.; entrance free). The letters between Jean Vilar, Gerard Philipe are the second reading. It is Anne-Marie Philipe's daughter who will be retracing the extraordinary friendship between two great artists (July 21 at 11 a.m.; free entry). The film "Gerard Philipe the last winter of Cid" by Patrick Jeudy, based on Jerome Garcin's novel (Folio), will be shown at Utopia Cinema in Avignon at 6 p.m.
Finally, at Maison Vilar, an exhibit is set up to compare the fates of Maria Casares & Gerard Philipe: Infinitely Maria Casares, Gerard Philipe-an evocation (Rens. : maisonjeanvilar.org)
Marie Vialle, actress and director, adapts Pascal Quignard's "In this Garden We Loved" (Grasset). A story about a pastor who, after the loss of his wife, decides to record everything he hears in the garden, including the songs of birds and whispers of rain. However, he rejects his daughter for being too similar to the missing. (Cloitre des Celestins from July 9-16). Elise Vigier, a novelist and Elise Vigier, has collaborated with Agnes Desarthe in creating an original text that is inspired by "Fantastic News", a Franco-Cuban Anais Nin. (Theatre Benoit XII from July 9-16.
Published in "L'OBS", June 30, 2022.
