Three years later The grand bric-a-brac, the Théâtre de la Dame de Coeur (TDC) — famous oversized puppet theater — is back with a new show, an initiatory journey to the land of dreams. Gigantism, astonishment, eccentricity… the creation team, which numbers around fifty people, pushes the limits in order to surprise regulars and charm newcomers with Victor and the Gift of Dreams.
It’s inspired by pensive the hamster by Serge Marquis, this little rodent that rolls at breakneck speed in each of our heads, making its voice heard, arousing cogitation and concern, that the TDC scriptwriting team imagined Victor, a young boy in times of questioning. Bothered by this hairy hamster, the character will have to manage with him, fortunately guided by a wise grandmother, a sort of mentor who will help him evolve.
It was in the midst of a pandemic that the team got down to work with this desire, this obsession, Richard Blackburn, artistic and general director of the TDC, will say on the phone, to create a universe that can develop in four dimensions. . ” For Victor and the Gift of Dreamsit took six creators 50 days to develop the scene to scene, the stakes, the allegory”.
Then, after a mock-up simulation, the creation of dialogues, again this year entrusted to Marylin Perreault, and four versions of the show, a public reading made it possible to test their material. “This long creative process is unavoidable because the show has to find its home with its audience. It’s not The little Prince Where The Lion King, it’s a creation and there is a risk, we know that in theatre. We have to make sure that it will be edible for the general public. As you know, we cater to young and old, to the family. So how do you provide a good night out for both young people and adults? It remains our top priority. »
Through dreams, we have a proposal which, even if it is allegorical, is speaking
The idea of adopting the angle of the dream also allowed the team to “have fun on the scenographic level”, says Richard Blackburn. “In dreams, the narrative laws are free, without constraints, it allowed us to create a really unusual allegory. It’s damn unusual! »
The soul of the TDC
If oversize and technical prowess are key elements of the famous theater located in Upton, in Montérégie, the team has given itself the mission of always evolving, renewing itself and offering quality to its public.
This year, gigantism will of course still be part of the show, but the renewal of technical means – sound, lighting and multimedia – as well as the renovation of the platform on which people attend the performance will add to the meaning.
“The public won’t realize it, the floor is there, the swivel benches too, but it’s underneath that it’s happening. We are lucky to have a basement now, whereas before we were on clay. It improves a lot of things. Thus, for the first time in the history of the TDC, the show will also come to life from the ground.
“Obviously, as usual, there is action around, above, among the public, and there, even below… It’s very concrete. These are good challenges for us. And this is the first time that we will be able to test it concretely, ”explains the theater director enthusiastically.
Concerned about the need to renew the proposals while preserving the soul of the TDC, Richard Blackburn and his team make sure, at the time of creation, to always arrive at a consensus. Although ideas can come from all walks of life, there is a playground on which everyone agrees and where the team draws its greatest inspiration, in this case the initiatory tale. “We get into it quite freely, but it’s our background. There is a fairly good level of complicity to develop and “challenge” each other, “says the director.
Added to this communal approach is the concern to offer depth to the spectators. “Entertainment is a reality, but being meaningful, having something to offer the public as a metaphorical vibration, remains our main concern.
Through the dreams, we have a proposition which, even if it is allegorical, is speaking. People are going to say, “Oh my. OK ! They got laid, but they have things to say! concludes the great manitou with enthusiasm.