November 25, 2003 -

"The measure of a man may be found in his extremes. Try, strive, even fail - that is where your success lies.”

- Jacques Brel (transl.)

Ottawa, Ontario - Writer and tax collector Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra and his valet have been arrested by the Spanish Inquisition for attempting to levy taxes on a monastery. While waiting to be called before the Grand Inquisitor, they are being held in a dungeon in Seville with four men and three women also awaiting judgment. The National Arts Centre (NAC) French Theatre has learned (from a usually reliable source) that on his very first night in jail Mr. Cervantes was assaulted and robbed: one of his fellow prisoners, nicknamed "The Governor,” seized a manuscript to which Cervantes seemed much attached, entitled Don Quixote: The Ingenious Hidalgo de La Mancha. In order to recover his property, Cervantes decided to mount his defence as an entertainment, and began to tell - to perform! - the story of the "melancholy knight” and his impossible dream of love and justice. He even cast his fellow prisoners as the other characters in the fantastic adventures of his imaginary hero.

In a singular twist, it seems that as Cervantes left the dungeon on his way to the court of the Inquisition, his fellow prisoners removed the bars of the cell one by one in a symbolic gesture of freedom. However, the story has not been officially confirmed and may be only a legend. Unfortunately there is no film record of the events, although staged and sung re-enactments exist.

From Man of La Mancha to L'Homme de la Mancha: the journey of a dream in song

This tale of liberty and adventure was made into a musical in 1965 by American writer Dale Wasserman (author of the play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). Between 1965 and 1971, the show had 2,329 performances on and off-Broadway; since then Mitch Leigh's music has become part of the popular repertoire, while Joe Darion's lyrics have been translated into over two dozen languages. In 1968, Belgian poet, singer and composer Jacques Brel wrote a French adaptation, L'Homme de la Mancha. His production defended the roles of Cervantes and Don Quixote; this interpretation has become the standard, thanks in part to the unforgettable song Impossible Dream (The Quest). A film version starring Peter O'Toole and Sophia Loren was released in 1972.

Twenty-five years after the death of Jacques Brel (1929-1978), Les Productions Libretto invited René Richard Cyr - who had just directed a hugely successful production of Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) - to direct L'Homme de la Mancha and revive the memorable "To dream the impossible dream… To reach the unreachable star.” Premiered on June 11, 2002 at the Centre culturel de Joliette, this spare, straightforward Quebec production - a far cry from the lavish spectacle of traditional musicals - has been unanimously acclaimed by juries of both audiences and critics. Last February the production received the Masque (Award) for Best Independent Production and the Loto-Québec People's Choice Award from the Académie québécoise du théâtre. From December 4 through 13, 2003, citizens of the National Capital Region are invited to come to the NAC Theatre to hear the testimony of Cervantes, played by Jean Maheux. He will be surrounded by a host of actor/singers, including Sylvain Scott (playing Cervantes' valet and Sancho Panza, Don Quixote's faithful squire) and Évelyne Gélinas (as Aldonza and Dulcinea).

"Jean Maheux's portrayal of Don Quixote is strikingly convincing, and his singing is impressively nuanced. Equally well-balanced on the fragile thread between singing and acting, Sylvain Scott plays an appealing Sancho whose devotion is entirely believable. The surprise hit of this show, Scott delivers some of its finest moments.” - Christian Saint-Pierre, Cahiers de théâtre Jeu

René Richard Cyr: A dreamer with eyes wide open

René Richard Cyr is a director, actor, writer, producer and animator. Over the past two decades he has been associated with over 100 works for the stage (including musicals), film and television. His recent credits indicate his creative path: among others, he directed Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, Un tramway nommé Désir and Serge Boucher's 24 Poses (Portraits), presented at the NAC in 2001. As an actor he appeared in the film Nuit de noce and in the TV series Diva. Recently he co-wrote and co-directed, with Dominic Champagne, Cirque du Soleil's newest show, Zumanity, now running in Las Vegas. Since 1998 he has been the Artistic Director of the Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui, and since summer 2001, Artistic Director of the Centre culturel de Joliette's summer programme.

Cyr's direction of L'Homme de la Mancha draws on the actors' intelligence, directness and expressiveness. By focusing on the human element, he infuses the classic musical with rare emotional power, and his handling of the "play within a play” is subtle and accomplished. "René Richard Cyr's direction is beautiful, precise and meaningful… this production recalls his most radical stagings of the classics,” wrote critic Luc Boulanger in Voir Montréal.

The National Arts Centre French Theatre gratefully acknowledges the support of CIMF Rock Détente, Transcontinental Media, Radio-Canada Television, and Radio-Canada (La Première Chaîne and La Chaîne culturelle).

Information:
Guy Warin, Communications Officer
National Arts Centre French Theatre
(613) 947-7000 or 1 866 850-2787, ext. 759
gwarin@nac-cna.ca