Théâtre de la Ville-Paris 

L’État de siège

 

Although it is a very dark play, I believe it actually evokes a world of beauty, of the power of love.
─ Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota 

In the sky above a small town along the Spanish coast, a comet appears. Some say this means impending disaster. A man arrives stating that he is the Plague and installs himself as dictator.

The Plague, and his secretary Death, oppress the people, who are too afraid to resist, until one day Diego takes a stand.

Following on the success of 2016’s Rhinoceros, celebrated French director Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota and Théâtre de la Ville-Paris return to Taiwan with L’État de siège (State of Siege), an adaptation of a play by Albert Camus that integrates avant-garde narrative techniques and new media elements. Written in 1948, it recalls the treacherous atmosphere in Europe during World War II. It is based on the themes of resistance and humanism, which continue to be important 70 years later.




Review
Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota, in a spectacular form that occupies the whole theatrical space, features Albert Camus' L’État de siège, a rarely mounted and particularly alarming piece in the current political context.- Toute La Culture
 

Inspiring. In this glacial adaptation, Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota directs a people in a most violent but also realistic descent into hell. The only rampart against dictatorship is courage.-La vie

Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota, Direction

Based in France, Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota is an acclaimed contemporary theater director. He was born in 1970 into a theatrical family. His mother was an actress from Portugal and his father, Richard Demarcy, a well-known French director and playwright. As a child he spent much time in theaters, which inspired him to read plays in his youth. He has been most influenced by the works of Albert Camus. Beginning his career at a very young age, he directed his first play at 18, which was an adaptation of Camus’ Caligula. He is currently artistic director of Théâtre de la Ville-Paris and Festival d’Automne à Paris.


 

Albert Camus, Text

Albert Camus was born in French Algeria in 1913. During World War II, he was a political journalist in Paris and joined the French Resistance. His writings were based on his life experience, which involved fighting bravely on one hand and pursuing ideals on the other. He had a desire for justice and humanism. His major works include L’Etranger (The Stranger), The Myth of Sisyphus, The Plague and The Rebel, as well as the plays L’État de siège (State of Siege) and Caligula. In 1957, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Along with Jean-Paul Sartre, he is considered one of the 20th century French literary greats.


 

Théâtre de la Ville-Paris

Théâtre de la Ville-Paris of France holds an important position in performing arts circles, describing itself as “the world’s theater”. In developing its programs, it places emphasis on supporting contemporary original works and nurturing up-and-coming artists. Théâtre de la Ville-Paris has developed diverse international works of unique artistic character. Every one of its productions has been met with positive reviews and invitations from prestigious theaters around the globe. 
Artistic director Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota was the key person in bringing this production to the stage. It is a contemporary theatrical adaptation of a classic play that is the result of the collaboration of this creative team and its accumulated artistic energy.

Production / Théâtre de la Ville-Paris
Coproduction / Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg – BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music-New York) – Théâtre national de Bretagne-Rennes
With the artistic support of Jeune théâtre national
The play L'État de siege is published by Gallimard-Folio.

Text / Albert Camus

Direction / Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota

Assistant Direction / Christophe Lemaire

Set Design / Yves Collet

Lighting Design / Yves Collet and Christophe Lemaire

Sound Design / David Lesser

Image Design / Mike Guermyet

Costume Design / Fanny Brouste

Make-up / Catherine Nicolas

Mask / Anne Leray

Props / Griet De Vis

Cast / Serge Maggiani, Hugues Quester, Stéphane Krähenbühl, Valérie Dashwood, Jackee Toto, Hannah Levin Seiderman, Jauris Casanova, Philippe Demarle, Sandra Faure, Sarah Karbasnikoff, Gérald Maillet, Walter N’Guyen, Pascal Vuillemot, Lola Lemaire