It's a pleausre to invite you all to join in the ninth annual edition of Seuls en Scène, Princeton French Theater Festival, entirely virtual this year! Seuls en Scène introduces American audiences to contemporary French theater and takes place annually, in September, on the Princeton University campus. It is curated by Florent Masse, Director of L'Avant-Scène and Senior Lecturer in the Department of French and Italian. This year a dozen online events will highlight the fesival running from Thursday September 10, until Sunday, September 20. This ninth edition of the festival has been prepared in collaboration with the 49th edition of Festival d’Automne à Paris.

Starting this Thursday September 10, a Conversation on the state of French main festivals and theaters will launch the festival followed by a captivating documentary film on the creative process behind the show DU SALE! by Marion Siéfert that premiered at Théâtre de la Commune in Aubervilliers. On Friday, playwright Penda Diouf will read her most recent text Pistes. To prepare this reading, she has worked with celebrated Burkinabe director Aristide Tarnagda. On Saturday, we'll offer another reading specially made for us: Sandy Ouvrier and Astrid Bayiha will read a few scenes by Jean Racine during Fragments Racine. On Sunday, two live Zoom conversations will take place in the afternoon and feature Penda Diouf and Aristide Tarnagda followed by Marion Siéfert and Mathieu Bareyre.

We'll stream La Dispute by Mohamed El Khatib from Sunday evening, September 13, and the exciting Rituels series by Emilie Rousset and Louise Hémon from Tuesday, September 15. The Rituels series includes Le Grand Débat, not to be missed in this election season! The festival will end with the show for all audiences Rémi by Hector Malot, directed by Jonathan Capdevielle.

During week 2 of the festival there will also be live Zoom conversations: with Mohamed El Khatib on Wednesday, September 16, and Jonathan Capdevielle on September, 20. The conversation with artists Émilie Rousset and Louise Hémon will be prerecorded and available for streaming on Friday, September 18.

All online events are free and open to the public. They're accessible on the festival web pages from the days when they start streaming. On average, most online offerings are available for three days, except for the opening Conversation on the state of festivals and theaters in France, and Fragments Racine).

Registration on Eventbrite is required for the live Zoom converstions (link below).

- Here is the festival web pages on the site of the Lewis Center for the Arts: https://arts.princeton.edu/frenchtheater/ and those maintained by the Departement of French and Italian: https://fit.princeton.edu/

- The Eventbrite link for registration to the conversations: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/seuls-en-scene-princeton-french-theater-festival-11090010440

- And our festival promo video!: https://vimeo.com/454847678/582b426956

We look forward to seeing you soon!

All the best

Florent Masse

Princeton University
Department of French and Italian

Fall activities are in full preparation and I am pleased to announce the return of Seuls en Scène, Princeton University French Theater Festival, September 15 - October 11, in partnership with the Lewis Center for the Arts.
This year's festival features an exceptional lineup including a play from last year’s official Avignon theater festival, a preview of a monologue to premiere in France this fall, rarely staged texts, as well as prominent French directors and actors. 
Admission is free – but Reservations strongly advised by replying to this newsletter or sending an email to ftw@princeton.edu with subject line: Festival
We're delighted to bring you this new edition and we look forward to seeing you soon.
With all best wishes,
Florent Masse

Princeton University
Lewis Center for the Arts, Department of French and Italian
& L'Avant-Scene
with additional support from Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, French American Fund for Contemporary Theater (FACE/French American Cultural Exchange Foundation), the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Institut francais & ODIA Normandie
present

SEULS EN SCENE 2014 - Princeton French Theater Festival – 3rd Edition
September 15 - October 11, 2014

Projet Luciole
Wednesday, September 17 & Thursday, September18, 8 p.m.
With an Introduction on Monday, September 15, 4.30 p.m.*
A hit of the Avignon Theater Festival 2013, Projet Luciole (Project Luciole), as a theater project, seeks to invent a philosophical theater that shows the energy and the vivacity of critical thought. Building upon reflections on different texts by such writers Theodor W. Adorno, Giorgio Agamben, Alain Badiou, Walter Benjamin, Guy Debord, Gilles Deleuze, Annie Lebrun, George Orwell, Jacques Rancière, and Jaime Semprun, and embodied by actors Nicolas Bouchaud and Judith Henry, the concepts of this project collide and dialog with each other.
Created and Directed by Nicolas Truong.
With Artistic Collaboration by Judith Henry and Nicolas Bouchaud
Performed by Judith Henry and Nicolas Bouchaud
Set Design Élise Capdenat and Pia de Compiègne. Lighting Design Philippe Berthomé. Production Stage Manager Léon Touret. Production and Tour Manager Mathilde Priolet
Location : Matthews Acting Studio 185 Nassau Street
Duration: 90 minutes
*Rencontre autour de Projet Luciole
Monday, September 15, 4:30 p.m.
Nicolas Truong in Conversation with Florent Masse – In French
Location: East Pyne Building Room 010
More details on the featured texts will be available on the upcoming Seuls en Scène website. Project Luciole is available at Editions Venenum.

Faim
By Knut Hamsun
Wednesday, October 1 & Thursday, October 2, 8 p.m.
Xavier Gallais, a frequent actor with Arthur Nauzyciel (The Seagull, Ordet) had a long-held desire to personify the words of Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, the Nobel Prize for literature recipient in 1920. This partly autobiographical tale portrays the terrifying descent of a man who wanders through the streets. It echoes the fate of all the anonymous faces that populate today's cities. “A deeply moving adaptation” Fabienne Pascaud. Télérama. “A poignant and mesmerizing moment that makes us think” Armelle Héliot Le Figaro.
Directed by Arthur Nauzyciel
Performed by Xavier Gallais
Adapted for the stage by Florient Azoulay and Xavier Gallais based on the translations by Régis Boyer and Georges Sautreau. With Artistic Collaboration by Florient Azoulay. Lighting Design Scott Zielinski. Scenic Design Giulio Lichtner. Costume Design Gaspard Yurkievich
Location: Matthews Acting Studio 185 Nassau Street
Duration: 80 minutes

L’Autre Monde ou les États et Empires de la Lune
By Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac
Saturday, October 4, 8 p.m. & Sunday, October 5, 5 p.m.
Convinced that the lunar star is a world comparable to our own, the story’s narrator strives to go there. A first attempt brings him to Canada from where he lands, almost by accident, on the moon, only to find himself immediately captured by its inhabitants…With this show and many other productions for the theater and the opera, Benjamin Lazar has elevated baroque diction and gesture of which he has become a celebrated ambassador. Surrounded by musicians and candles, he brings to life a little-known work, more controversial than previously suspected.
Adapted for the stage, Directed and Performed by Benjamin Lazar
Music by La Rêveuse performed by Florence Bolton, viola da gamba & Benjamin Perrot, theorbo and baroque guitar.
With Artistic Collaboration by Louise Moaty. Scenic and Costume Design by Adeline Caron. Make-up Design by Mathilde Benmoussa.
Location: Matthews Acting Studio 185 Nassau Street
Duration: 60 minutes

Le Voyage en Uruguay
By Clément Hervieu-Léger de la Comédie-Française
Thursday, October 9 & Friday, October 19, 8 p.m.
The Compagnie des Petits-Champs (L’Epreuve at last year’s Seuls en Scène) returns to Princeton and premieres Le Voyage en Uruguay. Clément Hervieu-Léger revisits the story of his patriarch who brought Norman cattle from across the sea in order to establish a livelihood in a new country. At heart a family history, the newly written monologue tells the story of how our personal heroes are made.
Directed by Daniel San Pedro
Performed by Guillaume Ravoire
Scenic Design Aurélie Maestre. Costume Design Caroline de Vivaise. Lighting Design Alban Sauvé. Sound Design Wilfrid Connell
Duration: 75 minutes
Location: Whitman College Class of 1970 Theater

Répertoires A Staged Reading Based on the Drama Classes of Louis Jouvet at the Conservtoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique
Saturday, October 11, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m.
To celebrate its residence at Whitman College Class of 1970 Theater, The Compagnie des Petits-Champs presents a staged reading featuring celebrated classical scenes from the French repertory such as Dom Juan, Andromaque or Le Mariage de Figaro, as well as texts by Louis Jouvet (who was a professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique.) Audrey Bonnet and Loic Corbery of the Comédie-Française, who starred in L’Épreuve last year return to Princeton on this occasion.
Directed by Clément Hervieu-Léger
Performed by Audrey Bonnet, Loïc Corbery, Daniel San Pedro, Guillaume Ravoire, and Clément Hervieu-Léger.
Lighting Design Alban Sauvé. Sound Design Wilfrid Connell
Duration: 60 minutes
Location: Whitman College Class of 1970 Theater

The new season of L'Avant-Scene, Princeton University French Theater Workshp, begins with the exciting return of Seuls en Scene, Princeton French Theater Festival, September 21-29, in partnership with the Lewis Center for the Arts.
 This year's festival features an exceptional line-up including a classic play by Marivaux, as well as celebrated French directors and actors along with up-and-coming artists.

SEULS EN SCENE 2013 - Princeton French Theater Festival - 2nd Edition
 September 21-29, 2013

L’Épreuve
Saturday, September 21, 2pm & 8pm
By Marivaux
Directed by Clément Hervieu-Léger de la Comédie-Française
Performed by Nada Strancar, Audrey Bonnet, Adeline Chagneau, Loic Corbery de la Comédie-Française, Daniel San Pedro & Stanley Weber

Rendez-vous gare de l’Est
Sunday, September 22, 5pm & 8pm
Directed and written by Guillaume Vincent
Performed by Emilie Incerti Formentini

Les Mains négatives & C’était mieux demain
Wednesday & Thursday, September 25 & 26, 8pm

La Machine de l’homme
Saturday and Sunday, September 28 & 29, 8pm
Directed by Stanislas Roquette
Performed by Stanislas Siwiorek

L’Inquiétude
Sunday, September 29 at 5pm
Written by Valère Novarina
Directed by Céline Schaeffer

Photo Credit: Brigitte Enguerant
Admission is free - but Reservations strongly advised by sending an email to ftw@princeton.edu

Contact information ftw@princeton.edu or fmasse@princeton.edu

All performances (except L'Inquietude): Matthews Acting Studio, Lewis Center for the Arts, 185 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ