Absalon, Absalon !

After making a lasting impression with The Wild Palms, Séverine Chavrier returns to the universe of William Faulkner with a free adaptation of the monumental Absalom, Absalom! A beast of a novel, it transposes into the America of the Civil War a biblical episode: the cursed fate of David, marked by the seal of fratricide and incest. Absalom, Absalom! chronicles the rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen, a child born in poverty who becomes a man hungry for social recognition. But in a Mississippi haunted by slavery and the genocide of the natives, dreams of glory are doomed to failure. 

In this narrative with its four voices reminiscent of Greek tragedies, the director finds much to feed her always hungry theatre: with her characteristic sense of flair, she electrifies Faulkner’s words while preserving the mystery of a work she loves passionately. Superimposing scales and temporalities, she lets the actors tell as much about themselves as about their characters. Haunted by the ghosts of childhood, they wander a decaying world. 

En este espectáculo épico a varias voces, la guerra de Secesión supone un antes y un después para esta familia cuya estirpe se derrumba. Es la adaptación de la novela homónima de Faulkner donde los fantasmas conviven con los vivos.

Interview with Séverine Chavrier

With Pierre Artières-Glissant, Daphné Biiga Nwanak, Jérôme de Falloise, Alban Guyon, Adèle Joulin, Jimy Lapert, Armel Malonga, Annie Mercier, Hendrickx Ntela, Laurent Papot, Kevin Bah « Ordinateur »
With the participation of Maric Barbereau, Remo Longo (alternating)
Text based on William Faulkner
Translation and proofreading François Pitavy, René-Noël Raimbault
Adaptation and direction Séverine Chavrier
Dramaturgy and assistant direction Marie Fortuit, Marion Platevoet, Baudouin Woehl
Set design, props and stage management Louise Sari
Lighting Germain Fourvel
Music Armel Malonga
Sound Séverine Chavrier, Simon d'Anselme de Puisaye
Video Quentin Vigier
Video frame Claire Willemann
Costumes Clément Vachelard
Diversity and performance policies dramaturgy consultant Noémi Michel
Bird education Tristan Plot
Lighting collaboration Nelly Perre, Thomas Rebou
Sound collaboration Mathieu Ciron, Marco Nüesch, Alizée Vazeille
Video collaboration Gilles Borel, Pierre Olympieff
Stitching and dressing collaboration Aline Courvoisier, Karine Dubois
Set design Assistant Tess du Pasquier
Costume Assistant Andréa Matweber
Design of the dolls Chantal Sari
Stage Management Mateo Gastaldello, Sylvain Sarrailh, Mansour Walter
Drawing Alain Cruchon, Gilles Perrier
Locksmith Hugo Bertrand, Wondimu Bussy
Carpenter Yannick Bouchex, Balthazar Boisseau, Mathias Brügger
Construction reinforcement Julien Fleureau
Car engine design Vincent Wüthrich
Technical Director Yves Fröhle
Technical Support Terence Prout
Technical Coordination Margaux Blanc, Margaret Labbé
Production Manager Pauline Pierron
Production Pascale Reneau
Production Assistant Elyse Blanquet

Production Comédie de Genève
Coproduction Centre dramatique national Orléans Centre-Val de Loire, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (Barcelona), ThéâtredelaCité Centre dramatique national Toulouse Occitanie, Bonlieu Scène nationale d'Annecy, Théâtre de Liège, DC&J Création, Festival d'Avignon
Set construction Ateliers de la Comédie de Genève
With the support of Fondation Ernst Göhner (Zoug), Tax Shelter du Gouvernement fédéral de Belgique, Inver Tax Shelter and for the 78e edition of Festival d’Avignon : Villa Albertine (New York) 
With the artistic participation of the Jeune Théâtre National (Paris)
Acknowledgements Caroline Bonnafous, Romuald Liteau-Lego, Rachel de Dardel ,Judith Zagury, the team at the Centre dramatique national Orléans Centre-Val de Loire