With the repeated closures of performance halls and bars, the last two years have been tough for artists, including improvisers. The National Improvisation League (LNI), however, took advantage of this imposed fallow to reflect on the usefulness of improvisation and the various ways of renewing its theatricality, and can now announce several good news.
Posted at 9:00 a.m.
“We are in a hurry: we are hungry and we are thirsty! François-Étienne Paré, artistic director of the Théâtre de la LNI, does not hide his enthusiasm at the dawn of a new season of the Charade Cup which should begin, if all goes well, on February 7 at Club Soda. “We are ready and the messages we receive from Club Soda give us hope that theaters will open soon. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE LNI
François-Étienne Paré, artistic director of the LNI Theater
As was the case with the shortened 2020 season, the leaders of the most famous and oldest of the improv leagues hope to take the art of improvisation a step further. “We want to continue to move away from the competitive aspect by focusing more on the quality of the improvisations. In this logic, we decided this year to change the different trophies that are awarded at the end of the season. Details will be revealed in February.
“Improvisation is much more than sketches made by actors in jogging! continues François-Étienne Paré. With the pandemic, we realized how much our art has this great advantage of being practically live. »
We can adjust from performance to performance to feel what is in tune with the times. Our mandate is in particular to stage and tell the stories of the concerns of our society.
François-Étienne Paré, artistic director of the LNI Theater
To “bring the LNI to the 21stand century”, the management decided to drop the vote using colored cards to switch to electronic voting, by text message. “Voting is very fast and viewers will see the votes pile up on the screen. For us, it’s a way of opening ourselves up to more interactivity with the spectators. For example, they could be probed on several questions, such as the theme they prefer. It is also by text message that the public will vote for the player of the season. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE LNI THEATER
Shows The LNI attacks the cinema pay tribute to the work of great filmmakers from here and elsewhere.
A tribute show to Jean-Marc Vallée
For several years now, the LNI has also been diversifying its offer by offering several shows articulated around the classics of dramaturgy or cinema (or even tinted by current events with The LNI kills the front page!). This year, a tribute show to the films of Jean-Marc Vallée was also on the program… The performances scheduled for January at the Outremont Theater have been postponed due to health measures. But the show will indeed take place one day, promises François-Étienne Paré.
” For The LNI attacks the cinema, we seek to pay tribute to filmmakers with a strong signature. This is the case of Jean-Marc Vallée. »
He revolutionized the art of shooting films and series by allowing himself to breathe with his actors and by focusing on acting and emotions. His integration of music is also very inspiring.
Francois-Etienne Pare
“For us, it will be very stimulating to work around his ideas. And it seems essential to us to keep this show. The filmmaker who died on December 25 had also been invited to attend one of the performances.
Good to know: the Théâtre de la LNI also invites the public to watch its first web series entitled zero focus, which includes 17 improvisers.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE LNI THEATER
The show The Potential Theater Factory was presented in Quebec last spring, during the Carrefour du théâtre.
Construction sites of all kinds
The LNI also continued its theatrical exploration during the pandemic with two creative projects that should see the light of day in the coming months. The Potential Theater Factory will move to Espace libre in January 2023, while the ambitious Cygnus Project, “a sort of improvisational Babel”, will spread its wings in 2024. “These are ways of approaching improvisation differently, in particular by integrating technique more and more into our shows. »
Another project, less metaphorical this one: the creation of a possible place to host the activities and shows of the Théâtre de la LNI (or even of the entire Montreal improvisation community), at the Très-Saint-Rédempteur church , rue Adam, in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. “The Conseil des arts de Montréal offered us support to bring this community project to fruition. We are at the beginning of the process, but this is excellent news. »
We have been looking for a place to set up our premises for more than ten years. And Robert Gravel, our founder, was born a block and a half away!
Francois-Etienne Pare
The LNI Theater has also been working for years to better support the artistic discipline. However, the community is in the process of being structured, with the establishment of an association of representatives of the improvisation community in Quebec, explains François-Étienne Paré.
In short, after two years of torpor, the relaunch promises to be positive for the improvisation community in general… and for the LNI in particular.