Theater
Philippe Quesne
The Moles & A Screening of "Crash Park: The Life of an Island"
Human utopia and apocalypse evoked by a theatre magician
Philippe Quesne is a leading French theatre director and visual artist. For this year’s festival, a new version of his performance work The Moles (2016) is presented in collaboration with contact Gonzo, as well as a screening of his theater piece Crash Park: The Life of an Island (2018). Both works explore what the true nature of human kind is and what brings happiness. Crash Park is a castaway story in which the surviving passengers of a plane crash arrive on an island. Through depictions of a primitive land as well as a euphoric life with the islanders, Quesne portrays a human utopia and dystopia. In The Moles, giant realistic moles present a comical and acrobatic performance above ground. Aside from their haughtiness and lack of speech, their way of life is much the same as humans. The communication born between the moles and the audience offers an opportunity to reconsider the plase of humans. Also known as a ‘theatre magician’, take note of Quesne’s unique humor and creative set designs. Absorb this truly original world view that also delivers a cutting satire on environmental issues and contemporary society.
10.16 (Sat) 16:00
10.17 (Sun) 16:00
Duration:
The Moles: 30 min
Crash Park (screening): 90 min
Doors open 45 min. prior to the performance.
Philippe Quesne
France
Born in 1970, Philippe Quesne is a French artist, director and stage designer. He studied visual arts, visual design and set design in Paris. In 2003, he founded Vivarium Studio as a laboratory for theatrical innovation and collaboration between painters, actors, dancers and musicians. The dramaturgy of the performances developed and staged by Philippe Quesne is based on a strong interconnection between space, set and bodies. The sets often become working studios or “vivariums” representing a microcosm. His multidisciplinary performances have been shown at numerous international festivals. Since 2014, Philippe Quesne has served as director of the Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers in a suburb of Paris, creating The Night of the Moles, 2016 and Crash Park, The Life of an Island, 2018. In addition to his stage work, he develops performances and interventions for public spaces and landscapes. Since 2019, he has been served as curator of the French pavilions at the Prague Quadriennial.
☞The Moles
Direction: Philippe Quesne
Co-direction: contact Gonzo
Performers: Takuya Matsumi, Keigo Mikajiri, Yuya Tsukahara
(contact Gonzo), Ayari Ito (gallop), Takuya Nagamine
Costumes：Corine Petitpierre
Stage Manager: Kazushi Ota (Kyoto Performing Arts Center), Junichiro Ohno
Lighting design & chief: Kosuke Ashidano (RYU)
Sound design & chief: Sho Takiguchi
Sound staff: Haruka Nakamura (4th year student of Department of Performing Arts, Kyoto University of the Arts)
Production Coordinator: Miho Kawahara, Takanori Goto (Kyoto Performing Arts Center)
Special thanks to Satoshi Ago, Yuika Hokama & Ryo Morita
☞Crash Park: The Life of an Island (Screening / 2018)
Concept, Direction & Set Design: Philippe Quesne
With: Isabelle Angotti, Jean-Charles Dumay, Léo Gobin,
Yuika Hokama, Sébastien Jacobs, Thomas Suire, Thérèse Songue, Gaëtan Vourc'h
Assistant: François-Xavier Rouyer
Animal Costumes: Corine Petitpierre
Original Soundtrack: Pierre Desprats
Lighting: Thomas Laigle, Michaël Nodin
Sound: Samuel Gutman
Stage Manager: Marc Chevillon
Stage Technician: Joachim Fosset
Wardrobe: Pauline Jakobiak
Dramaturgical Collaboration: Camille Louis
Film: César Vayssié
Camera Assistant: Małgorzata Rabczuk
Set and Prop Making: Ateliers Nanterre-Amandiers (Élodie Dauguet, Marie Maresca, Yvan Assael, Jérôme Chrétien)
Produced by Nanterre-Amandiers
Co-production: Theatre National de Bretagne - Rennes, HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin, Munchner Kammerspiele, Onassis Stegi - Athens, Fondation Hermes
English Subtitles: Nowy Teatr
Supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan
Presented by Kyoto Performing Arts Center at Kyoto University of the Arts, Kyoto Experiment
In partnership with Centre Pompidou