The Old One and the Beast

Ilka Schönbein - Theater Meschugge

Company
The puppeteer and masker, dancer and actor Ilka Schönbein, originally from Darmstadt, developed her theatrical form when she did street theatre. Her Theater Meschugge has since been invited to all important festivals and she is one of the artists that changed our relation to puppet theatre. Far beyond cuteness and mere enchantment, she never appears morbid or sinister even when venturing into the dark zones of the consciousness of the human soul. (Le Figaro)

Performance
Smeared, haggard, wrapped into rags and death in her eyes – the ancient and universal story of the cast-out creature and its wondrous salvation. A queen gives birth to an ass and throws the unfit heir into the water. Once dragged to the shore by a strange being – half-fairy, half-witch – the magical amalgamation of hoofed animal and human commences, whereby both cannot let go of life anymore. The bizarre story of transformation and resurrection is narrated with the simplest means and intense physical application. Puppeteering, acting, dance and live music blend into an evocative and skilful dream play of life and death, a parable on the last things which do not mean death, but completion.

Production: Les Métamorphoses Singulières, Le Grand Parquet, Theater Meschugge
Coproduktion: Théâtre de Vidy-Lausanne, La Grande Ourse / Scène Conventionnée pour les jeunes publics - Villeneuvelès Maguelone, L’Arche, Scène Conventionnée pour l’enfance et la jeunesse, scène jeunes publics du Doubs und Centre culturel Pablo Picasso, scène conventionnée pour le jeune public, Festival Momix, Créa , Arcadi.
Supported by: Charleville-Mezière's International Puppetry Institute, the municipal of Paris, Drac Ile de France, the region Ile de France as well as the administration of the 18th municipality of Paris.

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Cast: Ilka Schönbein
Music, Voice: Alexandra Lupidi
Technics: Simone Decloedt, Anja Schimanski
Lighting: Sébastien Choriol, Anja Schimanski
Creative assistance: Britta Arste, Romuald Collinet, Nathalie Pagnac

When: Nov. 03rd. + Nov. 04th 2011, 07:00 p. m.
Where: T-Werk, Schiffbauergasse 4E
Entrance fee: Price category A
Duration: 90 min
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Generously supported by Logo Institut français.