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The Horse of Blue

8 years old and up • All audiences • Deaf and hearing audiences

“My grandfather says that between the rocking horse and the rocking chair is where a man’s life unfolds.”

A red horse, a green horse, a wooden horse, an iron horse: it’s possible to own a thousand different horses, but hands down, there is nothing better than a Horse of Blue. Just one of his tears can turn into an ocean, a whale, a school of fish!

A young woman enthusiastically tells us the horse stories passed down to her by her grandfather. Even though his chair doesn’t rock anymore, he has left something very precious behind. In this sublime theatrical performance in which words and the poetry of movements are symbiotic, a hearing actor and a deaf actor share the stage.

Nominated one of the top five plays of the year in 2019 by ARTV, this play was also honoured with two Prix Rideau Awards, for Outstanding Director (Milena Buziak) and Outstanding Design (lighting, Benoît Brunet-Poirier), as well as two nominations for actor Jonathan Poulin-Desbiens (Outstanding Performance and Outstanding New Creation). The play, accessible to deaf and hearing audiences aged 8 and up, was performed in digital format with French and English subtitles at the Sound OFF Festival, Canada’s only sign language festival, as well as during National AccessAbility Week 2022.

Théâtre de la Vieille 17 in co-production with Voyageurs Immobiles, creation company, with the support of the Théâtre français of the National Arts Centre.

Team

Text MARCEL CREMER
LSQ translation TraduSigne, in collaboration with JONATHAN POULIN-DESBIENS
Stage direction MILENA BUZIAK
Set design JOHN DOUCET, in collaboration with JULIE VALLÉE-LÉGER
Soudscape MARTIN DAWAGNE
Costumes MANON GUIRAUD
Lighting BENOIT BRUNET-POIRIER
Choreography ZURINE ORBELZU-LACOSTE
Stage manager and assistant director LIONEL LEHOUILLIER
French/LSQ interpreter KARINE BÉNARD
Production manager SOPHIE DUCHARME
Tour stage manager LYDIA TALAJIC
Technical director ALEXANDRA GENDRON
Artistic consultants ESTHER BEAUCHEMIN et MÉLANIE DUMONT
With SOUNIA BALHA and JONATHAN POULIN-DESBIENS

Photos © Jonathan Lorange

“Thanks to the skill of deaf actor Jonathan Poulin-Desbiens and the energy of Sounia Balha, [Milena Buziak] [Milena Buziak] does a brilliant job of combining sign language, which, at times, esthetically (and beautifully) resembles contemporary dance, with theatrical performance, accompanying or even doubling the poetic effect of Cremer’s words.” David Lefebvre, mon(theatre).qc.ca

“The plays Et si un soir and Cheval de Bleu are declared winners of the 12th annual Rideau Awards for professional theatre produced and performed in French in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.” Ici Radio Canada nouvelles

TV Interview

« Christelle D’Amours nous présente cette pièce particulière, qui est proposée en français et en langue des signes québécoise. » téléjournal Ottawa-Gatineau with Mathieu Nadon — Watch

 

Illustrated album

Album of Marcel Cremer’s text, illustrated by Julian Peters for the occasion and published in partnership with Lansman Éditeur. — Buy the album [in French]

 

Feature article

“What happens when someone is gone? What do we keep of them? What did they pass onto us, what kind of strength, what kind of stories, what kind of inheritance?”, Gilles Abel, children’s philosopher, Cahier Quatorze du CNA : Traits d’union: à la rencontre du Cheval de bleu de Marcel Cremer, p. 63. — Read the article [in French]

 

 

Visual aid

We offer the audience a casual performance relaxed performance (sensorially adapted), during which all children are welcome! For this performance, every effort has been made to ensure that audience members of all ages and with special needs will be comfortable. — View the Nouvelle Scène’s visual aid [in French]

 

Original music

The original soundtrack, composed by Martin Dawagne, is available via all major streaming services — Listen on Spotify

 

Production
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