The true story of...
Initiatory Tale
On grief, love, and resilience.
Synopsis
A little girl must cross a desert to visit her mother in the hospital. Along the way, she encounters a serpent fairy…
Genesis
lead theatre workshops for both children and adults. This year, I wanted to explore the dreamlike world of the fairy tale.
With the adults, I staged Pinocchio, inspired by Joël Pommerat’s version, working on mask and staging.
With the younger group, I proposed this format: exploring what defines a “tale” and writing our own together. We alternated improvisation and theory sessions. The girls (an all-female group aged 10 to 14) showed immense imagination. They grasped the moral stakes of storytelling and the space it opens to express fears and concerns.
So I wrote a play. My first.
Leading theatre workshops is a source of immense richness. It clarifies one’s approach to acting and directing. It is precious because theatre often has its strongest impact among amateurs: it federates, creates shared values despite differences.
Yet it demands rigor. Amateur theatre is also a space of leisure, where self-satisfaction can easily settle. For art to endure, one must put one’s whole heart into the work.
- Patrick Lodde and Compagnie du Baluchon
- The students of the Baluchon workshop
The project culminated in a small tour and the publication of a book.
Illustrations by Patrick Gromy.
Published by Éditions Grémy.