Liliane Plouzeau and theater company « La Compagnie Lily » present "Qui est là ?" (« Who’s there ? » in French), a new family-friendly marionette show project.

The show will tackle the difficult theme of the loneliness of the elderly and the end of life with laughs and great tenderness combined with several social projects based on the show:

- An educational project with a high school and a retirement home

- A senior tour project

- Exchange between retirement homes

The play is adapted by Director Pascal Larue from Pascal Teulade and Jean-Charles Sarrazin’s tale “Bonjour Madame La Mort”, laureate of the 1996 Chronos literature prize.

The show will be proposed at the World Festival of Puppet Theater (FMTM) in Charleville-Mezieres, France.

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Educational project

« Qui est là ? » is part of the « Sharing Our Generations » project. This intergenerational project creates and strengthens the link between High School students of Lycee Funay-H. Boucher (Le Mans, France) and the elderly of retirement home Foyer Logement G. Brassens (Le Mans, France).

The show and the marionettes are used as a support for several workshops involving students and elderly working together on:

- Puppet handling

- Practice on short excerpts of the show

- Critical analysis of theme of the show

- Poster design of the show

Students and elderly will attend to a performance of the show, followed by a debate on the theme of the show.

In October 2016, several of these workshops have been conducted as part of “La Semaine Bleue”, the French national week of the elderly, sponsored by the French Department of Health and Human Services.

Senior tour project

Generations Mouvements is the first French network of senior citizens. This 40-year-old association is committed to fight against the social isolation of the elderly and offers numerous activities: sport, workshops, entertainment and sightseeing.

La Compagnie Lily is joining Generations Mouvements to propose a one-day tour with:

- Local sightseeing

- Local gastronomy tasting

- Visit of La Compagnie Lily’s workshop with puppet making demonstration

- Show “Qui est la?” followed by an intergenerational debate about the social isolation and the end of life of the elderly.

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Why marionnettes

"The ability of marionettes to mimic human gestures and go beyond is amazing.” – Liliane Plouzeau

Marionette shows are a fantastic way to explore many topics, including taboos like the death and the loneliness of the end of life.

The Marionette Art is also a wonderful educational tool for children and adults, combining Plastic Art and Theatrical Art, Dance, Mime and Song.

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The Show

"I really wanted to work with a renowned director and a great story with a powerful dramaturgy. I was immediately seduced by the variety of the emotions procured by the tale of "Bonjour Madame La Mort", on a suggestion of adaptation by Director Pascal Larue." – Liliane Plouzeau

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“Qui est la ?” revolves around a duo of marionettes: Madeleine, the old female farmer, accurate and down-to-earth and The Death, supernatural and clumsy.

The play has a very contemporary setting with the marionettes, a visible puppeteer, a musician and a storyteller all acting together on stage.

The 80 cm tall (30-inch) marionettes are Czech style: hand carved lime wood, string operated with animated arms, legs, head, eyes and mouth. The head and the hands are made in latex, papier-mâché and resin. All marionettes have been designed and hand crafted by Liliane Plouzeau.

The stage decoration is designed by a professional set designer and made by passionate volunteers.

Marionnettes and stage decoration items are crafted at Compagnie Lily's workshop in Saint-Vincent-Du-Lorouer, France. The workshop is also used for rehearsals and puppet making demonstrations and has a welcome center for visitors.

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Timeline

- Jan 2015: First meeting with Director Pascal Larue.

- May 2015: Prototyping of animated eyes and mouth on Czech style marionette

- July 2015: First residence at Compagnie Lily's workshop

- Feb 2016: Second residence in Andresy, France, with theater companies Cyam and Pipasol

- Jun 2016: Third residence at Art center L'Escale in Saint Cyr sur Loir, France

- Sep 2016: Fourth residence at L'Enfumeraie theater in Allones, France

- Sept 29th 2016: Premiere at Companie Patrick Cosnet theater in Pouance, France

The show is now ready to enter in production phase:

- Performances in France and Europe

- Senior tours with Generations Mouvements

- Continue workshops with High School students of Lycee Funay-H. Boucher (Le Mans, France) and the elderly of retirement home Foyer Logement G. Brassens (Le Mans, France). Expand with other schools and retirement homes.

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The core team

- Pascal Larue, Stage Director, Executive Director of L'Enfumeraie theater, Allone, France.

- Liliane Plouzeau, Puppeteer, Puppet Maker, Art Director of Compagnie Lily

- Ludovic Fabre, Musician, Violinist

- Armel Lambert, Actor, Storyteller

- Florent Avrillon, Stage Designer and Manager, Design of the lighting

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La Compagnie Lily

Created in September 2008 by Liliane Plouzeau, La Compagnie Lily has developed multiple activities around marionnettes:

- Show creation and performance

- Art workshop creation and facilitation

- Event creation, facilitation and performance

- Stage direction

More information on the company's website: www.compagnie-lily.org

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...QUI EST LA ?