For this 12th edition, comic books are not on the already quite busy program, due to the lack of female illustrators or authors who could be contacted by Fabienne and her team. The situation is somewhat better for comedians, even though big female names are fewer or rather less known. A situation that seems to be evolving, as shown by the likes of Noelle Perna, Florence Foresti, and Anne Roumanoff, to name just a few. But what really caught Fabienne Candella-Mascunan’s attention was an image and a phrase. The image is that of Nicole Fontaine, having just been elected President of the European Parliament, the only woman in a group of men and dressed in red! The phrase, a somewhat sexist remark about a female painter’s work: “she paints like a man,” meaning she painted energetically.
The blood of the president of the Théâtre de la Marguerite boiled, and she decided to create “Femin’arte,” a festival made by women, featuring only women as artists but visible to both sexes. An artistic event that aims to be militant in spirit but not in form.
A militant approach naturally led to the presence of a somewhat surprising and striking encounter between the worlds of contemporary art, healthcare, and disabilities through an exhibition at the entrance of the festival tent. People with disabilities did not hesitate to push self-mockery to the maximum by transforming a walker into a safety hoop on a car made with other “constraining instruments” or “tools” such as wheelchairs and recycled parts. This is a must-see before or after the performances.
For the opening, Wednesday evening, right after the opening of this exhibition designed under the advice of artists who also work in the medical and association sectors in partnership with “Handi Savoir,” it was a clever mix of improvisation guided by the audience’s words and the theme of the Elevator, the “red thread” of Lily’s show.
Four girls (obviously) brimming with talent and humor who do not hesitate to mock themselves. These members of the Lyon Improvisation League set the bar very high, earning them a “standing ovation” of several minutes!
For the end of this festival, things will “get moving” from this Friday night with Sophia Aram in “Lead in the Head,” who manages to perform the feat of embodying nine characters caught in the “ruthless” world of a school. For the grand finale on Saturday, a trio of women from Toulouse who have only one goal: “the boudufication” of the audience and are ready to use all means to get there. Naturally, their show is called “Boudu les Cop’s” and it is seriously thrilling!
Schedule: Palais des Congrès de Juan Les Pins
– Friday, March 13 at 8:30 PM: Sophia Aram “Lead in the Head”
– Saturday, March 14 at 8:30 PM: “Boudu les Cop’s”
Information and reservations
– Festival Office: 15 rue Fourmillière 06600 Antibes / Tel: 04 93 34 11 21 (Open from 10 AM to 6 PM or at www.theatredelamarguerite.com
Ticket office (on-site from 7:45 PM)
– or at FNAC, Carrefour, OT Antibes, or on www.billetreduc.net.
(1) Handi Savoir in Biot
– Tel: 04 93 95 84 55 or handisavoir@free.fr
