February 01, 2005 -

“Le Cid marks the birth of a man, the rebirth of poetry, the dawn of a great century.”
– Sainte-Beuve (transl.)

Ottawa, Ontario -- According to historians, and judging by the surviving opening-night reviews, the premiere performance in 1637 of Pierre Corneille’s Le Cid was an unqualified triumph. Nearly four centuries later, this epoch-making tale of love and heroism, passion and honour, penned by a playwright barely 30 years old, has lost none of its incandescent power. The Théâtre du Trident (Quebec) launched its 2004–05 season with this masterpiece of French literature, directed by Gervais Gaudreault, and the National Arts Centre (NAC) French Theatre is delighted to welcome this superb production to the NAC Theatre on February 10, 11 & 12 and February 18 & 19 at 19:30.

Gervais Gaudreault, a distinguished director (particularly of plays for young audiences) and voice instructor for several theatre schools, has assembled a first-rate cast of twelve actors, including Jean-Sébastien Ouellette as Rodrigue and Hélène Florent as Chimène. Gaudreault’s masterful staging of this great French classic showcases the essence of Corneille’s genius — namely, his language: a language full of verve and sparkle, a powerful yet natural style whose rhyming couplets infuse every scene with equal vibrancy and colour, from the wildest flights of fancy to the most intimate declarations of love. “I staged this production of Le Cid not from the perspective of theatre history, but from my background in working with language and acting techniques,” Gaudreault explains. “What’s fascinating is that Corneille’s language set the standard for all of French theatre.”

Rodrigue, are you man enough?

At the Castilian court, Don Diego and Count Gormas will soon preside over the marriage of their children, Rodrigue and Chimène, who are madly in love. A happy future seems assured when suddenly the fathers fall into a bitter quarrel, and the two families are sharply divided. Don Diego has suffered an unforgivable insult, and Rodrigue must avenge his father’s honour. Torn between his obligation to defend his father’s good name and his love for Chimène, Rodrigue must choose between love and honour . . . for “victory without risk is triumph without glory.”

Pierre Corneille (1606–1684) left us an imposing and varied body of work: comedies (L’Illusion comique, Le Menteur), tragicomedies (Clitandre), and above all, tragedies (Horace, Cinna, Polyeucte). But it was Le Cid (from “El Cid,” a Moorish title of respect, from the Arabic al sayyid, meaning “Lord”) that established his reputation as an icon of Western literature. Based on a Spanish epic, Las Macedades del Cid (The Childhoods of the Lord), published in 1621 by Guillén de Castro, the play astonished the theatre world from its very first performance in 1637 by the actors of the Théâtre du Marais. It was an instant hit: Corneille became the darling of Paris; Cardinal Richelieu (the play is dedicated to his niece, Madame de Combalet —wily Corneille . . . !), pronouncing it a “marvellous work,” awarded the playwright an annual pension of 1,500 pounds (equivalent to about $7.500 today) and conferred a noble title on the author’s father. However, the play soon came under attack by Corneille’s literary rivals, particularly Scudéry and Mairet: Corneille was accused of plagiarism and immorality, and was charged with violating the rules of decorum and challenging the neoclassical “three unities” (unity of time, place and action).

Arise, Rodrigue!

The 1637 edition of Le Cid is subtitled “Tragicomedy,” that is, a less rigidly-structured dramatic form, more exuberant, expressionistic rather than classical. However, the discussion of rules, conventions and verisimilitude raised in what became known as “la Querelle du Cid” (“The Quarrel of Le Cid”) affected Corneille’s practice as a writer: over the years he revised his play several times, bringing it more in line with the traditional conventions of tragedy. Thus the 1648, 1660 and 1682 editions are subtitled “Tragedy.”

Gervais Gaudreault has based this new production primarily on the 1660 edition of the play, which he describes as “more stripped-down, closer to pure tragedy.” However, he continues, “I also took the liberty of retaining certain passages from the 1637 edition which I find particularly direct, particularly striking. But every decision I made, always in consultation with the actors, was guided by our desire to keep the meaning clear, even for someone hearing the verses for the first time.”

“Director Gervais Gaudreault has galvanized his troops. The actors are transcendent; not one of them falters. Jean-Sébastien Ouellette is magnificent in the title role. His performance is resolute and sure, as inspired when defending his honour as when uttering tender words of love. . . . Here, on a set of utter simplicity, in luminous solemnity, is a rich work where theatrical language and memory are given all the prominence they deserve. Recommended for all theatre lovers – and not just the nostalgia buffs.” – Jean St-Hilaire, Le Soleil, September 18, 2004

Tickets from $30.00 (Students $16.00)
On sale at the NAC Box Office (no service charges), through Ticketmaster (at all Ticketmaster outlets or by ‘phone, 613-755-1111) or online at www.nac-cna.ca

Groups of 20 or more receive up to 20% off regular ticket prices. For more information, please contact (613) 947-7000, ext. 384, or grp@nac-cna.ca

The script of Le Cid may be ordered from the Librairie du Soleil, (613) 241-6999 or (819) 595-2414

The National Arts Centre French Theatre gratefully acknowledges the support of its media partners: Le Droit, Week-end Outaouais, Radio-Canada Television, and Radio-Canada (La Première Chaîne).

The Série Théâtre is sponsored by Desjardins.

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