PROJET BLANC
2011
An audio walk for 76 audience members
Premiered in Montréal
on November 3rd, 2011
Running time approx. 120 minutes
Projet blanc has only been done one time.
On November 3rd 2011, 76 audience members were invited to come to the Monument National, in Montréal. When they bought their tickets, they knew nothing about the play or the date of the performance. The location was only revealed 24hrs in advance. When they arrived, attendees were handed headphones and an audio player.
Then, the audio walk began. The group travelled along Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Sainte-Catherine Street. The narrator on the audio recording drew upon elements in the street to question the meaning of presence, something dearly valued in the theatre. What do the words “current” and “contemporary” mean? What does “here and now” mean?
Once they were outside Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, audience members were given tickets to the performance inside, Molière’s School for Wives. Seated in the upper balcony, they put their headsets back on to hear the rest of the audio, which was synched to the performance. Here, the narrator challenged the play unfolding on stage before them: What am I doing here? What have I been invited to? What are they trying to say to me? Why now?
