As the first round of the presidential election is fast approaching, France Bleu Mayenne offers you a series of reports all week long. Every day we focus on one of the themes of this election campaign. For our latest report, focus on culture. In the north of the department, the troop of Val d’Orthe animates, in normal times, the small town of Saint-Martin-de-Connée. But it’s now been two years since they last performed in the small town theater, because of the pandemic. She is now trying to put herself back on the stage.
A difficult start
Nelly belongs to this troupe of amateur actors. She has been playing since 1974. On the stage of the small theatre, in front of the black sofa that served as the setting for the old show, she watches, a little nostalgic, the 220 green seats of this former cinema. They are empty. For her, the last two years have not been easy: “The confinement arrived suddenly for us. We asked ourselves a lot of questions: do we continue to rehearse to maintain the memory of the piece for the following year? We tried, so we relearned the same text three times. Except that he forgot himself a little. We weren’t sure of ourselves. _Frankly, I had difficulty coming back to play on stage_.”
– Julien Provoyeur
The public also awaits the return on stage of his troupe. For two years, André has been called upon: “They called us to ask us when we are performing again. They were even disappointed, for those who had already booked, when they learned that we were unfortunately not going to go to the end of the play. _We really want to leave_.”
A social role
The troupe wants to prepare its return for next year, preparing a brand new play next September. Especially since these amateur actors have a public utility rolethis is what Nelly thinks: “The demand here is joy. That’s why it’s boulevard. People don’t come to hear something like in the communities of communes where there are large pieces of intellectual value. They want something to play well and where they _burst out laughing at any moment_.”
The goal now for the Val d’Orthe troupe, to prepare for the recovery with a next play from the boulevard theater of course. The team is also preparing for its future, by looking for new amateur actors.