Artist Statement

Performance/Drama

Created during a summer residency at Montreal’s Musk d’art contemporain, this Robert Lepage play is shown for the first time, in experimental form to the ISEA95 public, as the first draft of a theatre work in progress inspired by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Through his unique treatment of space and scenic effects, Lepage gives new life to an inescapable character in the history of theatre in the western world by delving into family, insanity and bereavement issues. This latest creation completes the trilogy of solo shows begun with Vinci and followed by Les Aiguilles et l’Opium. The production of Elseneur is the result of the Musk d’art contemporain’s first residency experience.

• Robert Lepage, Canada. After studying dramatic art at Conservatoire de Quebec and training with Alain Knapp in Paris, he followed a most uncommon theatrical itinerary. His multi-faceted experience as an actor, playwright and stage director have enriched his internationally-renowned work. The ingenuity and coherence of his scenographies come from the communion of light, sound and technological media creating his own ‘magie du theatre’. He scripted and directed Le Confessionnal, which premiered at the opening of  “La quinzaine des realisateurs” at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.