Staging - 2015

Faust, Charles Gounod

Staging

Faust, Charles Gounod

Gounod's Faust depicts a man's confrontation with the world, but above all with himself. Our stage space, dotted with shimmering fabrics, has been designed to reflect this quest for self-redefinition — a quest that pushes the protagonist to sign a pact with the Devil. We have chosen to turn the omnipresent chorus into a variation of the faces and possible silhouettes of the protagonists, while modulating the space thanks to its very presence. Two rows of women may therefore represent the walls of a house, a line of men embody the bars of a prison or the axis of a Christian cross. Inspired by Munch's ghostly paintings, we have sought to create a world both oppressive and seductive, a world that can accommodate Marguerite's madness as much as her jewels. Variations on the same costume, color, or gesture: nuances that aim to echo Faust's game of hide-and-seek with a vision of truth that he never manages to fully grasp. He fumbles in the darkness — a Homer or an Oedipus blinded by his own ignorance.

Émilie Rault, January 2015

Performances

Théâtre des 2 Rives
Charenton, France
2015

Staging

Émilie Rault

Conductor

Dominique Sourisse

Faust, Charles Gounod

Ô nuit, étends sur eux ton ombre !

Faust, Charles Gounod
Faust, Charles Gounod
Faust, Charles Gounod
Faust, Charles Gounod
Faust, Charles Gounod
Faust, Charles Gounod
Faust, Charles Gounod
Faust, Charles Gounod
Faust, Charles Gounod

Cast

Damien Bigourdan: Faust

Sophie Albert: Marguerite

Vassyl Slipak: Méphistophélès

Fabrice Alibert: Valentin

Charlotte Labaki: Siebel

Emilien Hamel: Wagner

Dominique Sourisse: Conductor

Émilie Rault: Staging

Carine Ravaud: Set design

Laure Becquignon: Costumes

Cédric Ascencio: Lighting

Fanny Pytkiewicz: Makeup / Hair

Anne Boulle: Stage Management

OpEra 12 Music Ensemble

François-Guy Brachet: Administration / Production


Production: Chorus 14 Ensemble


Photos by Carine Ravaud and Kenza Boda