Almost 10 years after placing George Feydeau at the heart of the show The prince of enjoyersGabriel Sabourin does it again with Pif-Glossya play articulated around life, but above all around the masterpiece of Edmond Rostand.
How could a man whose plays had hitherto been lukewarm given birth to Cyrano de Bergerac, one of the greatest masterpieces of French dramaturgy? What happened in the life of Edmond Rostand so that, at the age of 29, genius sprang up in this way? Where did he find the material to inspire him?
These questions are at the heart of Pif-Slick, new piece that Gabriel Sabourin devotes to the father of Cyrano de Bergerac and presented at the Rideau Vert. “I looked back to the year preceding the writing of this masterpiece to imagine what could have happened in the author’s life. For me, it was clear: to write such beautiful love letters as those found in Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand had to like it too. »
It is a true anecdote that sowed the seed of inspiration in the mind of the actor, playwright and screenwriter from Quebec.
I discovered that Edmond Rostand had already written love letters to help another person declare his love. However, the beloved who received these letters fell in love with the one she thought was the author. And this is the great injustice. These are the words of Rostand that she loved…
Gabriel Sabourin
Gabriel Sabourin therefore decided to dig into this vein to write his play. Rostand would have liked without being in return. “Is it a sacrilege to imagine that all this could have happened, to imagine how this story of letters could have served as an inspiration for Cyrano de Bergerac ? We know that de Bergerac really existed – he died in 1655 – but the Roxane in the play is a fictional character. So I imagined a Marie-Anne who would be Edmond’s secret love. »
“In addition, I discovered that Rostand was called “shiny pif” at school, says the actor. He must not have considered himself handsome. Like his Cyrano!
PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA
Edmond Rostand
To embody Edmond Rostand, director Stéphane Brulotte turned to Olivier Morin. Roger La Rue plays Father Rostand, Marie-Hélène Thibault, the servant Madame LeGuet, and Gabriel Sabourin, her husband. Élodie Grenier and Jean-François Pronovost complete the cast.
Pieces of Cyrano
In addition to embroidering around the life of Edmond Rostand, Gabriel Sabourin decided to include in his play a few pieces from the most famous play by the French playwright.
“I played the Comte de Guiche in the production presented at the TNM in 2014 and I realized that I had to add pieces of Cyrano de Bergerac. There’s so much genius in there. Moreover, at the premiere of the play in 1897, there was a standing ovation for one hour – one hour! – at the end of the performance. The success was instantaneous; Rostand even received the Legion of Honor! »
However, this genius poses a hell of a challenge to Gabriel Sabourin: that of writing words that will not fade alongside those drawn from Cyrano. Because his Edmond sows the alexandrine and the rhyme to the wind, to the point of getting on the nerves of those around him. “It’s not so simple for me, since I don’t necessarily have an easy time with the music of the Alexandrians. »
But what incites Gabriel Sabourin so much to revisit the lives of great playwrights in this way?
Feydeau and Rostand are characters whose genius I admire. Their way of telling a story inspires me. As an actor, it also inspires me. My acting is fueled by writing. When I play, I am more sensitive to the author’s intentions.
Gabriel Sabourin
Regarding the position occupied by the classics on our boards today, Gabriel Sabourin considers that these plays are “the best of hundreds of years of world theater”. “Shakespeare or Molière knew how to find the balance to make their work universal. Few authors have succeeded. We must therefore continue to play it, without playing just that. With Michel Tremblay, Michel Marc Bouchard, Marie Laberge or Carole Fréchette, we are in the process of building our own accelerated dramaturgy. It’s primordial. But we must not forget those who have survived the test of time. »
He continues: “It’s fun as Quebecers to be able to appropriate French authors without having any complexes. I dared to attack this monster that is Cyrano and I went there with all my enthusiasm. »
Pif-Glossyat the Rideau Vert, from March 14 to April 15