Welfare

“I like to watch people, I like to think about everything I see:” These words by film-maker Frederick Wiseman’s are at the heart of this adaptation of Welfare (1973) by Julie Deliquet. A unique day in the life of the homeless, stateless, workers, single mothers and other destitute people who file into the makeshift welfare centre set up in the Cour d’honneur. For the duration of the performance, the Palais des papes becomes a place of hospitality struggling to take on a human face. This is the territory inhabited by the characters of this adaptation by the current director of the Centre dramatique national de Saint-Denis, whose theatre ceaselessly tries to capture life within the human comedy. Fifteen everyday heroes whose stories intertwine to show in stark relief the dysfunctions of our society. Characters who invite us to follow them and to step through the fourth wall the way one must see through a fantasy to find reality again.

Interview with Julie Deliquet

With Julie André (Elaine Silver) Astrid Bayiha (Mrs Turner) Éric Charon (Larry Rivera) Salif Cisse (Jason Harris) Aleksandra de Cizancourt (Elzbieta Zimmerman) Évelyne Didi (Mrs Gaskin) Olivier Faliez (Noel Garcia) Vincent Garanger (Mr Cooper) Zakariya Gouram (Mr Hirsch) Nama Keita (Miss Gaskin) Mexianu Medenou (Lenny Fox) Marie Payen (Valerie Johnson) Agnès Ramy (Roz Bates) David Seigneur (Sam Ross) Hirsch) Nama Keita (Miss Gaskin) Mexianu Medenou (Lenny Fox) Marie Payen (Valerie Johnson) Agnès Ramy (Roz Bates) David Seigneur (Sam Ross) and Thibault Perriard (John Sullivan, musician)
Based on the film by Frederick Wiseman
Translated by Marie-Pierre Duhamel Muller
Directed by Julie Deliquet
Scenographic adaptation by Julie André, Julie Deliquet, Florence Seyvos
Artistic collaboration by Anne Barbot, Pascale Fournier
Scenography by Julie Deliquet, Zoé Pautet
Lighting Vyara Stefanova
Music Thibault Perriard
Costumes Julie Scobeltzine
Puppet Carole Allemand
Costume assistant Marion Duvinage
Dressing Nelly Geyres
Set construction François Sallé, Bertrand Sombsthay, Wilfrid Dulouart, Frédéric Gillmann, Anouk Savoy - Atelier du Théâtre Gérard Philipe Centre dramatique national de Saint-Denis
General Manager Pascal Gallepe
Stage Manager Bertrand Sombsthay
Light Manager Jean-Gabriel Valot
Sound Manager Pierre De Cintaz
English translation for surtitles Panthea

Production Théâtre Gérard Philipe CDN de Saint-Denis
Coproduction Festival d'Avignon, Comédie CDN de Reims, Théâtre Dijon Bourgogne CDN, Comédie de Genève, La Coursive Scène nationale de La Rochelle, Le Quartz Scène nationale de Brest, Théâtre de l'Union CDN du Limousin, L'Archipel Scène nationale de Perpignan, La Passerelle Scène nationale de Saint-Brieuc, CDN Orléans Centre-Val de Loire, Les Célestins Théâtre de Lyon, Cercle des partenaires du TGP With the support of Groupe TSF, VINCI Autoroutes, The Pershing Square Foundation, The Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater, Alios Développement, FACE Contemporary Theater, a programme of the Villa Albertine and FACE Foundation in partnership with the Embassy of France in the United States, King's Fountain, Fonds de Dotation Ambition Saint-Denis, Région Île-de-France, Conseil départemental de la Seine-Saint-Denis and for the 77th edition of the Festival d'Avignon : Fondation Ammodo and Spedidam
Residence La FabricA du Festival d'Avignon
Captation in partnership with France Télévisions
With the support of Onda for audiodescription
Frederick Wiseman's films are produced by Zipporah Films.
Acknowledgements Patrick Braouezec, Pauline Legros, Anna Genet, Samuel Jérôme--Bourgeois, Lucile Miège, Odile and Gérard Haudebert, Madame Legal and the team at the Vaucanson school in Paris, the pupils and teachers at the L'Estrée, Louis Blériot and Jules Vallès schools in Saint-Denis, the Maurice Bacquet gymnasium in Saint-Denis, Pauline MacEachran, Benjamin Larsimont and the 110 Centre socioculturel coopératif de Saint-Denis team, Marie Potiron and Mandela, Maty Diallo- Ouedda, Moussa Diallo-Ouedda, Keyah Ido-Benisty and Néhanda Ido-Benisty, Julien Gidoin

In memory of Marie-Pierre Duhamel Muller.