What convinced you to adapt Faulkner’s novel Absalom, Absalom!?
I regularly address themes such as the question of inheritance from one generation to the next, sibling relationships, youth confronting parental authority, and madness as social revenge… For this show, the idea came when I realised that, in my previous plays, I had yet to tackle certain essential topics such as the question of cohabitation, violence, and the legitimacy of the founding of a North American nation.
Yours is a free adaptation which relies partly on the actors appropriating the text. Can you tell us more about your creative process?
Rather than following a strict chronology or recreating the highlights of the novel, we explore different configurations and relationships between the characters. Our approach is more focused on the dynamics of speech and interactions between the actors, which allows for a lively and energetic reinterpretation of Faulkner’s novel. We tried to explore the interplay between narrative and performance, focusing on the way each scene is told several times to reveal different perspectives. What I’m interested in is understanding how the way a character speaks of a scene reveals things about him- or herself. I tried to create an immersive experience in which the audience is plunged into Faulkner’s world, while leaving room for interpretation and emotion. Like the actresses and actors, I want the audience to find their own connection to the story and the characters.
You’ve also added elements from the lives of the actresses and actors themselves…
Yes, I’ve added those biographical elements to guarantee the sincerity of the show. I’ve chosen artists whose family or professional history resonates with the themes of the play, like the struggle against domination and exploitation. I rely on their contributions to build the text and scenes, and I put it all together by reinjecting Faulkner’s essence into the play. We tried to find the balance between improvisation and artistic direction. We navigate between improvisation and rewriting to create a dramaturgy which emerges organically from our working process. Every actor brings their own interpretation and their own words, making the play richer and giving it a unique dimension: the show would evolve in a different direction if we were working with other actors…
How is the narrative complexity of Faulkner’s novel implemented in your theatrical adaptation? How do you tackle the theme of patriarchal and economic domination by whites in your adaptation?
I emphasise the multiplicity of narrators in the novel and try to find emotional weight rather than factual truth in the narrative. I favour an archaic and brutal approach, using makeup and costumes to transform the actors and playing with temporalities. My goal is to capture Faulkner’s Shakespearean essence, by highlighting the virtuosity of the performance rather than technical sophistication. I try to shine a light on the evolution of the United States, from the sound and the fury to the rise of mercantilism, showing how that trajectory crushes individuals. It’s a reflection about the impact of the history of a nation on individual destinies. I replace the play within the context of the Civil War and show how this domination influences family and social relationships. It’s a subtle critique of the continued exploitation of the South by the North. In the show, cars represent at once modernity, freedom, and industrial oppression. It becomes a place of work and a confessional, reflecting relationships of power as well as the exploitation of the working class. The transformation of the techniques of production, from slavery to the automotive industry, underscores the continuity of those logics of economic domination.
Childhood is a central theme in the novel: how is it represented in your adaptation?
The theme of childhood is associated in Faulkner’s work with innocence, with a form of lost purity that contrasts with guilt and sin. There’s also the question of memory, and of the traumas tied to it…
Can you talk about the different spaces of the stage and how they are structured?
I created different spaces to represent the historic house, the present of work, and the contemporary university. Those spaces reflect the layers of North American history and society, from plantations to modern exploitation. We use fixed cameras to capture different angles live, as well as a camerawoman who follows the action. The video is integrated into the show in real time, with ghostly effects to enhance the atmosphere. I often use the American shot, which is particularly captivating as it creates a visual break which evokes memory and the persistence of the past. The fixed camera allows us to explore memory like a ghost haunting the frame, reinforcing the Faulknerian aspect of the story. The bare stage was complemented by a billboard, a sort of screen on which small pieces can be placed to represent different spaces. We’re using shutters to create hiding spots and play with scales, from small to large. Scales and contrasts, such as the monumental and the small, reflect for me the duality between childhood and adulthood, as well as the questions of memory and history. This also stems from the very nature of the project, at once grandiose and childlike.
Let’s talk about the music. What role does it play in your show?
The music, created in collaboration with bassist Armel Malonga, creates an organic atmosphere on stage. It contributes to the building of emotions and atmospheres, while avoiding any direct historical reference.
Interview conducted in February 2024 and translated to English by Gaël Schmidt-Cléach