“Spreading the good word of theater for the benefit of the community.” Jean Luc Gag, when presenting this event, which will have its first edition from October 12 to 18, insisted on justifying the location and the reason for a week entirely dedicated to theater.
The location, most will quickly understand, the opera theater is situated on the site of the first theater that opened in Nice. The Macarani Theater was born in 1776, followed in 1826 by the Royal Theater, then Imperial after 1860. In 1881, it became the opera, known for the tragedy of its fire during the performance of Lucia di Lamermoor. The opera was rebuilt in 1886, making it the genesis of the Niçoise stage, albeit now dedicated to music.
The reason is explained by the numerous theater troupes, both professional, around forty, and amateur, probably double that. Theater is a living art whose expression is the work of passionate artists. Recognizing the difficulty for troupes to gain recognition, the need to introduce the art of the stage to the public, especially the younger ones, made this week the obvious response to all these challenges.
There are 23 venues scattered throughout the city that will offer 96 performances, including 26, nearly a quarter, for young audiences. The venues range from a small intimate space with forty seats to the largest one with eight hundred seats. The dynamism of this event will be ensured by this multiplicity of venues, 23 throughout the city.
During this week, it’s not only the stages where the curtain rises after the three knocks that will be highlighted. The public will be able to explore the stage and sets and even the backstage through conferences, exhibitions, and workshops. To spice up the event, a surprise performance is scheduled for October 13, the details of which have not been revealed.
The organizers’ ambition: “Put Nice in the rhythm of theater.” The aim is to make this event sustainable, stimulate and excite the public’s curiosity, allowing them to experience direct contact with the actors, which is only possible in the theater.
Here are enough reasons to respond to this invitation and give this week the success it deserves.
Thierry Jan
