Contes zen du potager

Without words

In Contes zen du potager, the heroes are monks or samurai warriors. Each one’s body is a vegetable or a fruit that reveals its personality. The puppeteers’ moves are as steady and minimalist as a calligrapher’s stroke or a Japanese cook’s slice, as ritualistic as the art of serving tea, and as amusing and inventive as the art of the object allows!

Contes zen du potager, created in 2018 by Olivier Ducas, Karine St-Arnaud and Francis Monty, is based on traditional Zen tales. It was developed during a creative laboratory in November 2017, then presented as a work-in-progress at the Marionnettes plein la rue! festival in Montréal and at the Micro-festival de marionnettes inachevées in Trois-Rivières. Festival de Casteliers presents its first full-length version, a delicious collection of short pieces and haikus!

Running Time: 45 minutes
Technique: Object Theatre

Photos

Company

Théâtre de la Pire Espèce has been borrowing techniques from different disciplines such as puppetry, object theatre, clowning, cabaret and street theatre since 1999. By exploring the creative process, the company aims to develop a dynamic, innovative and accessible approach to art. The company sets aside theatrical illusion, revisits stage conventions and the rules of dramatic narration, and seeks to establish a close connection with the audience. The company will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2019.

Credits

Story: Inspired by traditional Zen stories
Original Idea: Olivier Ducas, Karine St-Arnaud and Francis Monty
Stage Direction and Performance: Olivier Ducas and Karine St-Arnaud
Production: Théâtre de la Pire Espèce