Nathan Bénédict, born on a magnificent estate on the north shore of Rivière-des-Milles-Îles, plunged into self-immolation when he began writing an essay on the genealogy of his family, more specifically at the very moment when he typed the final letters E-N-D. The causes of the sudden fire remain unknown, but what is certain is that all that’s left of him is a few organs – lungs, heart and brain – kept alive in a solution of sterilized water and formaldehyde. Nathan thus begins with his family sombrely waiting in the hospital room where, by means of numerous transplants, attempts are made to give the young man a body.

To start things off, the protagonist’s soul explains that this is “autofiction that functions like a game of divination, the occult art of discovering the unknown – the future, the past and what is hidden – treasures, invisible diseases, secrets and mysteries”. It is thus a tale that avoids falling into the main trap of autofiction, banality.

Reaffirming its commitment to new works, the Théâtre français of the National Arts Centre is pleased to welcome, in a world première, the incendiary tale of a man that the newspaper Voir termed (when the reprise of Littoral was presented at the NAC in September 2009) “the younger brother-in-arms and soul mate of Wajdi Mouawad”. It is for that reason that the latter decided to bring Nathan to the NAC, in this production for the general public that will be the last show in his final program as outgoing artistic director of the Théâtre français. For the past six years Emmanuel Schwartz has been working on this piece, blending reality and fiction as he captures with his acerbic pen the dynastic story of the Bénédicts of America, one that assumes hyperbolic form as told by the phantasmagorical son and heir. NAC audiences will be the first to experience the play before the production moves on to Montreal for performances at the Festival TransAmériques from May 26 to 28, 2012.

Founded by Wajdi Mouawad and Emmanuel Schwartz, the company Abé Carré Cé Carré draws its inspiration from the desires of its two artistic directors, who have complete creative freedom as regards the plays they present. These two actors-playwrights-directors met during general auditions at the Quat’Sous theatre in Montreal. Coming from two different generations and at different stages in their artistic careers, they combined forces, working together and separately as they established a dynamic artistic tool. Inspired and guided by the right-angled triangle of Pythagoras, the company is named after the theorem A2 + B2 = C2.

An actor, playwright, director, musician and translator, Emmanuel Schwartz founded Abé Carré Cé Carré in 2005 with Wajdi Mouawad, and the following year the company produced Forêts. Emmanuel Schwartz was one of the actors in the piece, which was presented at the NAC in March 2007. From time to time he works as a writer or actor with different directors, choreographers and film directors, including Serge Denoncourt, Jean Baudin, Claude Poissant, Geoffrey Gaquère, Dave St-Pierre, Alice Ronfard, Olivier Choinière, Denis Villeneuve, Todd Haynes and Eric Jean. He has also composed soundtracks for a number of plays, dance pieces and short films, notably for works by Dave Saint-Pierre, Christian Lapointe and Alice Ronfard. His plays have been presented at PàP sans cérémonie, the Festival du Jamais lu and the CEAD’s Semaine de la Dramaturgie. In 2009-2010 he played the role of Caligula in a piece by Marc Beaupré as well as the role of Clément in Ciels by Wajdi Mouawad and, for the first time, directed one of his own plays (the triptych Chroniques) at Théâtre La Chapelle, accompanied by Alice Ronfard and Jérémie Niel.

Written and directed by
EMMANUEL SCHWARTZ

With
LARISSA CORRIVEAU
FRANCIS LA HAYE
DOMINIQUE LECLERC
ALEXIS LEFEBVRE
JEAN MARCHAND
MARIE-FRANCE MARCOTTE
BERNARD MENEY
ÉTIENNE PILON
ÈVE PRESSAULT
MANI SOLEYMANLOU
GUILLAUME TELLIER
FANNY WEILBRENNER

Assistant director
SOPHIE CÔTÉ

Dramaturge
ALICE RONFARD

Set design
EMMANUEL SCHWARTZ

Sound design
FRANCIS LA HAYE
EMMANUEL SCHWARTZ

Lightning
MARTIN SIROIS

Costumes
FRUZSINA LÀNYI

Costumes assistant
ROMAIN FABRE

Produced by
ABÉ CARRÉ CÉ CARRÉ

Presented in collaboration with
RADIO-CANADA

Length
Approx. 2 hours 35 minutes with intermission

NAC STUDIO
53 Elgin, Ottawa

Tickets
Adults: $34.98
Students: $18.99
Live Rush: $12

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French Theatre
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