Novarina portrait - Abécédaire à entrées perpétuelles
Summary
This France Culture episode profiles playwright Valère Novarina through an alphabetical exploration of his life and work. He discusses his theatrical origins in Avignon, the rhythmic and chaotic nature of his writing, and his collaborations with actors like Dominique Pinon. Novarina reflects on language as a physical force, the influence of circus arts, and his unique process of integrating painting with text to create immersive, pluralistic performances.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Valère Novarina and the genesis of 'Drame de la Vie'
Theatrical silence and the representation of society in performance
Order versus chaos: Rhythm, fugue, and musical structure in writing
Opera, singing the truth, and the concept of the 'chantier' (construction site)
The influence of circus arts and animal observation on theatrical space
Childhood memories, hidden messages, and family dynamics
The physicality of writing, breathing, and the actor's body
Comic actors as writers and the influence of Louis de Funès
Language as a hormone and fluid: Rejecting mechanical communication
The 'Vivier des Noms' and the proliferation of names in theater
Hebrew etymology, psalmotherapy, and the somatic knowledge of actors
Mathematical formulas, painting, and the materiality of language
The 'Red Origin' and the transformation of space in performance
Ambiguity in language and the uncontrollable nature of laughter
The spectator as architect and the ballistics of language
Union of contraries, Yiddish, and the final reflections on death and life
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