Paris Voice Summer 2003 Theater Events

Theater

While Avignon exercises its magnetic pull in July, drawing companies inexorably into the papal city's sun-drenched glow, Paris puts up a capital fight to help audiences staying in town make the city their playground. What's happening — if summer finds you in an urban mood.

Visites à Mister Green Written with the author Jeff Baron’s conservative Jewish grandmother in mind, “Visiting Mr. Green” examines how homosexuality is received in America through the story of a young American Express executive ordered by court to pay a weekly visit to the elderly man he knocked over with his car. A runaway success — the play and its author were behind the movement to encourage the State of New York to enact anti-discrimination laws. This French production starring Philippe Clay and Thomas Joussier comes to Paris after a successful national tour. Tue-Fri 9pm, Sat 6pm & 9 pm, Sun 3:30pm, Théâtre Antoine-Simone Berriau, 14 bd de Strasbourg, 10e, M&Mac251; Strasbourg-St Denis, 15-38E, tel: 01 42 08 77 71

Six personnages en quête d'auteur Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota’s acclaimed production of Pirandello’s famed play, created in 2001 at the Théâtre de la Ville, returns for 20 performances, exploring illusion, reality and the nature of theater. June 4-28, Tue-Fri 8:30pm, Sat 4pm & 8:30pm, Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, 37bis bd de la Chapelle, 10e, M&Mac251; La Chapelle, 8-24.50E, tel: 01 46 07 34 50

Créteil Fantasies Ever in tune with the eclectic tastes of its young banlieue public, the Maison des Arts in Créteil heads out of doors with “Les Fantaisies” (June 20-22), a celebration of interactive street theater, fairground entertainers, BMX stunt-riding, parades and dances to African and gypsy rhythms. Information: www.maccreteil.com or tel: 01 45 13 19 19

Comédie-Française The maison de Molière keeps the flame alive into July with four shows in rotation at the Salle Richelieu and a new piece up at its Vieux Colombier site. Catch Jean Racine’s “Esther” (to July 6), written for Madame de Maintenon in 1698 and inspired by the Biblical beauty, where the young pure voices of the Maîtrise de Radio France interpret the text’s 1286 verses, or the final performances of Marie NDiaye’s “Papa doit manger” (to June 22) starring the company’s first African sociétaire, Bakary Sangaré. Also, Algerian writer Kateb Yacine’s enigmatic novel “Nedjma” (June 25-29), a hallucinatory narrative dovetailing romantic awakenings and the country’s fight for independence, is brought to the stage by director Ziani Cherif Ayad. Salle Richelieu, 2 rue de Richelieu, 1e, M&Mac251; Palais-Royal, 10-30E, tel: 01 44 58 15 15. Vieux Colombier, 21 rue du Vieux-Colombier, 6e, M&Mac251; St-Sulpice, 13-26z, tel: 01 44 39 87 01

Paris Quartier d'Eté Paris’ summer performing arts festival has yet again an eye for the unusual and a mind to surprise. Southeast Asia shines in the theater department, with two shows on the fest’s main stage at the Palais Royal. Created in 1988 to find inner peace through performance, China’s U Theater combines traditional percussion and minimalist contemporary theatrical forms in “Tao of the Martial Arts Drummer” (July 15-18). From Japan, director Satoshi Miyagi’s Ku Na'Uka company, which seeks to isolate words, movement and images by employing separate casts to read the text and portray the action, offers a version of "Medea" set in a 1930s-era tea house (Aug 11-14). Information/Reservations: www.quartierdete.com

Avignon Of Course Where else can one find Bartabas, Jan Fabre, Rodrigo Garcia, Thomas Ostermeier, Eric Lacascade, Valère Novarina and Ariane Mnouchkine all in one place? Director Bernard Faivre d'Arcier’s swan song, this year’s program emphasizes the Festival d'Avignon’s capacities not only to stage theater but also to produce it, welcoming back to the Cour d'Honneur two shows created there in 2001 and 2002, respectively: Fabre’s “Je suis sang” and Lacascade’s “Platonov.” The Théâtre de Soleil brings down its meditation on exile and displacement, “Le Dernier Caravanasérail,” Zingaro kicks up its heels in “Lougla, les chevaux de vent” and Garcia continues to mine our trash/consumer society in “L'Histoire de Ronald, le clown de McDonald’s.” Info/reservations: www.festival-avignon.com or tel: 04 90 14 14 14

compiled by Molly Grogan