"We want to show human stupidity in relation to racism."

BarcelonaFor Jérôme Wacquiez, artistic director of the French company Des Lucioles, theater is a mirror of the world. This underlying idea is present in many of his shows—some of which have been performed in Barcelona, ​​such as Deux not towards the stars (2018) and When will I open it? In 1001 years (2019) – and has also been the guide for his latest production, The clairière [The Clearing], with dramaturgy by Stéphane Jaubertie. "When we were young, we experienced the fall of the Berlin Wall as a very positive event, one that gave us hope and artistic inspiration. Almost 40 years later, how would we experience the fall of a similar wall in today's Europe? Would we have the same euphoria, faced with two territories uniting?" asks Wacquiez. To explore this possibility, The clairière It presents an idyllic residential complex where its inhabitants live secluded from the world, in a privileged setting. The tranquility is shattered when the wall protecting the residence from the outside world crumbles, leaving them with nothing to separate them from the forest beyond their homes.

With this show, the Oui! French-language theater festival in Barcelona will inaugurate its ninth edition on Thursday, January 22. The production will be performed at the Institut Français theater and features eight performers. It is a co-production of the festival, premiering in Barcelona, ​​and will later be seen in several theaters in France, as well as at the Avignon Festival. "As a company, we often address social issues, but filtered through fiction. This time, I wanted to show human stupidity with characters like a large, racist fork, but also with second- and third-generation young migrants who, despite their origins, are also racist," Wacquiez explains.

Around the conflict, Jaubertie has placed a wide range of characters: from well-to-do people who react with fear and want to rebuild the wall as soon as possible, to others who look outward with curiosity and a desire for discovery. "Some of them believe they are good and intelligent people, convinced that they are where they belong. But when the barrier falls, their fragility gradually emerges. The show presents a duality between the fall of the physical wall and the fall of a psychological one. It is clearly a reflection of how Western society reacts to racism," he points out. The clairière It will also be shown this Sunday at the Plaza Theatre in Castelldefels.

Discover the French scene

Apart from The clairièreThe Oui! festival will bring a dozen contemporary French theater productions to the Catalan capital until February 7th. "We want to be a cultural bridge between France and Barcelona and, at the same time, introduce Catalan theatergoers to contemporary Francophone playwrights," says festival director François Vila. This year's program will feature other familiar names, such as director Denis Lachaud, who will bring Sima plaisirsA piece about three couples trying to save their relationships. Among the artists participating in Oui! for the first time is Viktor Kyrylov with the monologue Maintenant je écris plus que français"It's the story, told in the first person, of a young Ukrainian man living in Moscow when war breaks out," Vila reveals.

Over the years, Oui! has built a loyal audience of French theater lovers, especially thanks to the festival's connection with the Official Language Schools (EOI) and the Institut Français. "Many of our audience members are students, but there are also French speakers living in Barcelona. Our goal, however, is to attract audiences beyond just the language. If we manage to attract regular Catalan theatergoers, as well as people who have never been to the theater before, we can already consider it a success," explains the director. All performances are presented with Catalan or Spanish subtitles.