In Madagascar, the Miangaly Théâtre company is on stage with its new creation The farm, a work that takes a fine, incisive and sensitive look at the contemporary realities of life on the Big Island. The artists of this company make their premiere this Saturday on the stage of the French Institute of Madagascar, in Antananarivo, where they have been in residence since the beginning of the week.
With our correspondent in Antananarivo, Laetitia Bezain
On stage, six actors from the company sing, declaim and carry the voices of those little or not heard, ignored by society. A dive into the words of Bini Josoa and Gad Bensalem, authors of this play. The latter is also found on the boards.
“ This comes from a desire to talk about contemporary Madagascar and more broadly the world in which we live. “ The farm », as a piece, speaks in particular of the notion of fear: the fear of projecting oneself, the fear perhaps also of considering a hope. Fear of who, of what ? Who is afraid ? These are questions around this theme. In the way of pronouncing these two words – the farm – we can consider possible meanings to this piece », explains Gad Bensalem.
This work, the result of nearly a year of work, received artistic support from the Center Dramatique National de l’Océan Indien.
” This project was first born from the desire to be on the set together, some taking on the role of author, some playing on stage, etc. The system itself also allows you to step out of your comfort zone, even inside the company. There are some who haven’t been on stage for a long time but who were on the other side, as directors. This device, a little experimental, that we initiated allows us to try something else and it is very important to tell ourselves that we can afford to do that, ” continues Gad Bensalem.
“We have partners who support us and this allows us to take the time, to work in depth and not to have this urgency and it is incredible for artists in Madagascar”, adds, for her part, Fela Razafiarison, director of The farm.
This piece also aims to meet an audience that does not always have access to performance halls.
” In the process, from the start, we first plan to shoot in Madagascar and therefore it is a reality where stages and theaters do not always exist. This means that in the text and the direction of the direction, it is something that will be very much in the public space, in the open air, etc. It is therefore a scenic device designed to be able to be dismantled and reassembled in any place, which will not necessarily form a barrier between the stage and the public. It’s a text that spoke to me a lot, that carried me physically. So I told myself that it should also be physically worn on the set. The play is about fear but the counterpart is also courage and what happens to those who are driven by a certain courage sometimes ? », noted Fela Razafiarison.
Open-air performances will begin on September 10 at the KoloMahaolo cultural space, on the outskirts of the capital.
The farm, by Bini Josoa and Gad Bensalem, directed by Fela Razafiarison, with actors Haja Ravalison, Nathalie Rason, Hoby Rajoelison, Christiane Ramanantsoa and Imanga Mandimby.
Saturday September 3, 2022, at 3 p.m., in the auditorium of the French Institute of Madagascar. Price: 5000 ariary