Hidden Paradise, conceived by Alix Dufresne and Marc Béland, kicks off Théâtre Prospero’s 2023-2024 season.
THE CULTURAL SEASON IS WELL AND TRULY UNDERWAY!
Hidden Paradise, a piece that draws its inspiration from an interview with Alain Deneault heard on national state radio, addresses the prevailing apathy in our society. Over the course of an hour, the topic of tax havens will be explored and dissected in a breathless dance-gymnastic, virulently exposing the consequences of a system that affects us all.
For their first co-creation, Alix Dufresne and Marc Béland use the artistic processes of their shared theatrical practice to respond vigorously to the voices of contemporary alarm bell-ringers denouncing troubling situations. By using the stage as a tool of protest, and bringing in hard-hitting media materials, they open the spectator’s imagination to horizons broader than the topic itself.
From September 5 to 16, Alix Dufresne and Frédéric Boivin will revisit the play, which has already enjoyed great success in Europe and Quebec.
FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO ATTEND THE OPENING NIGHT:
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Credits (left to right) : Adrienne Surprenant, Emilie Couture, Maxime Côté
Marc Béland, direction :
A versatile and incandescent actor, Marc Béland is also a socially conscious creator. From 1984 to 1989, he made his mark as Louise Lecavalier’s partner in La La La Human Steps. In 2004, the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde honored him with the Prix Gascon-Roux, and awarded him the Masque for Best Actor for his portrayal of Donatien Marcassilar in L’asile de la pureté. As well as appearing on the small screen and in films, Béland has directed several plays, including Le fou de Dieu, La petite scrap, Il mondo della luna, Hamlet, Les bonnes and La symphonie rapaillée.
ALIX DUFRESNE, DIRECTION AND INTERPRETATION:
Alix Dufresne explores the body and various media, combining artistic material with committed speech. Trained at the National Theatre School of Canada, Alix presented Les paroles de Daniel Keene at Prospero (2014), Nuits Frauduleuses at CTD’A (2016), Hidden Paradise at Festival TransAmériques (2019), Geneviève Pettersen’s La déesse des mouches à feu at Quat’Sous (2018), Noémie de Lattre’s Féministe pour hommes at Usine C (2021) and Malaise dans la civilisation, co-created with Étienne Lepage at Festival TransAmériques (2022). She is an associate artist at Usine C, seasons 2022-2025.
In April 2022, Alix Dufresne received the John Hirsch Award from the Canada Council for the Arts.
FRÉDÉRIC BOIVIN, INTERPRETATION :
For nearly thirty years, Frédéric has worked as an actor, dancer, director, performer, author and artistic director in the fields of theater, contemporary dance, events and audiovisual performance. For more than a decade, he has been involved in DLD’s creations and international tours. In Matane in 2009, he founded the multidisciplinary creation company Théâtre des Grands Vents, and also collaborates on various organizations, events and artistic projects in Bas-St-Laurent and Gaspésie (Les Gens d’en bas, À tour de rôle, PHOS…). A member of the Fracture and Les chemins de traverse collectives, he lives in Matane (Gespe’gewa’gi).
