Will the long-awaited reunion between artists and spectators take on the air of a sweet rendezvous between two exes who have never stopped loving each other?
That’s it: for the past few weeks, the wave of easing has affected the cultural sector. And the end, on Saturday, of the last restrictions in force makes it possible to envisage a return to life before: the communion between performing artists and spectators can finally take place in a more favorable context. A little nervous, the former hold their breath and hope that the latter will be there.
Over the past two years, actress Ève Landry has had her share of postponements and cancellations. “I had two shows cancelled, two postponed. Fun Home chez Duceppe was canceled at the start of the pandemic. The following fall, I was to play a role in Twelfth night of Shakespeare at the TNM, but it has been moved to next September. »
All these postponements are not without clashes. “Performing, seducing an audience, is a real drug for an actress. When a play is cancelled, it’s like being told: “No, we won’t give it to you, your fix.””
The actress will finally go back on stage on March 15, in An enemy of the people by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (to see page 10). Before finding an audience of flesh and bone, she had to retrain her body, her voice, her diction, readjust her level of play compared to that of TV shoots, where we play “smaller”. “Of course, there are fears that certain reflexes will be a little less sharp at the start, but we can’t wait to get back to the public! Our biggest worry, in the middle, is that he does not come. People have new lifestyle habits; in recent years, we have all had to organize ourselves to find our happiness at home. We are confident that we will be able to attract them with good shows. All that remains is to hope that the public will feel safe.
Will come, won’t come?
A survey by the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ) on attitudes and behaviors of Quebec adults carried out between January 7 and 19 showed that the expected time to resume activities as before the pandemic varies from person to person. While 11% of respondents said they had already resumed their activities in mid-January, 35% were aiming for June and 49% planned to wait until the end of 2022 or the year 2023 to do so.
In January, the National Arts Attendance Survey, conducted by the Business/Arts group in collaboration with the National Arts Center using data collected in December 2021, revealed that 43% of Canadian culture lovers believed that ‘attending an indoor artistic or cultural event was as safe as going to a restaurant. Furthermore, 47% indicated that they felt safer at an indoor artistic or cultural event than at a sporting event.
A great music lover and regular spectator of concerts, is Nadine Mathurin enthusiastic about the idea of being able to attend a show again in a room filled to the maximum capacity, without distancing, standing with a glass in her hand? “I’m mixed. It’s a good thing for the artists, but I wonder if it’s not a little early… Will we relive the yoyo we knew? Seems to me like it’s fast. »
The one who can’t wait to see Nick Cave at Place des Arts in early April has changed her habits a bit in recent months. “I tend to consume less alcohol because of the mask, to limit my movements, to try not to move too much in the crowd. »
Despite the enthusiasm and the desire to return to dance to excellent music live which grips her, she shares the hesitation of certain spectators. “The big shows at the Bell Center, for example, I have trouble imagining how it will be organized… I will probably wear my mask even when it is no longer mandatory. I notice that I buy fewer tickets than before and that I buy them mainly for sure values. »
Audience reinvented
A beast of the stage accustomed to shows that rise strongly, Dumas has known his little pandemic challenges. “When you go back on stage after a break of three to five months, the mechanics are less oiled. Whether in interacting with the public, in timingin stress management… I remember the day after show where I was no longer able to walk! »
The singer-songwriter had the good idea to offer something comforting to his fans: an anniversary tour to revisit in its entirety the favorite album The course of days, published in 2003. “I experienced all the steps and sanitary configurations: the cessation of shows at the start, the arrival of the colored zones, the first revival, then the second round, a more normal summer, postponements in December with the arrival of Omicron… The distanced spectators, seated, with or without a mask, with or without alcohol, danced with their arms, sang through their masks. The public also had to reinvent itself, summarizes Dumas. People played the game, it went well. In terms of energy, we managed to come together, our exchanges were deep, sometimes even existential. I have confidence that they will be there. »
To reconnect with her fans, Cœur de pirate has decided to do things big: she invites them to the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church, rue Rachel, for a special concert on March 25. “From now on, I see the fact of being able to perform in a show as a privilege. My perception of the scene has changed; I will never take that for granted again,” says the one who has just received two fine Juno nominations in the Instrumental Album categories for Perseids and Francophone Album for Impossible to love.
She hopes her audience will be there to commune with her. “People wait until the last minute to buy their tickets because the measures have changed so often. I understand them, but it’s stressful for the artists. »
At the end of the tour The course of days, Dumas agrees and adds: “The offer is going to be huge, because we’re all going to be on stage again at the same time… It’s not realistic to think that we’re going to fill all our rooms, even if it’s authorized again. And I have a thought for up-and-coming artists… Not easy for those emerging in that context. »