The Lost City of the Wolves, as Told Through Illustration
DECEMBER 2021
When he sets out to work on a new show, set designer Richard Lacroix gathers his pencils and draws. Guided by the story, he draws characters, jots down a few thoughts, and creates an outline for the set design, with no thought for what it will all become later on. He then creates a scene-by-scene storyboard. Somewhere between the storyboards used for films and a comic strip, his version of this creative device is an essential tool for visualizing the play’s dramatic evolution, and for identifying key elements and links... It also serves as a guide for artisans, artists, designers and technicians who will refer to it as they do their magic in the workshop.
Richard’s storyboards are veritable works of art. In an effort to highlight this work, Simon Boudreault came up with the idea of digitizing a show from the company’s repertoire. The Lost City of the Wolves was the first such venture. The show premiered in 2005 and is based on a story by Louise Bombardier. It was recently translated into English by Maureen LaBonté. The story centres on Elise, a 9-year-old girl suffering from an illness that confines her to the hospital, and it resonates with the difficult times we are going through.
In collaboration with filmmaker Joël Melançon, the stage director and set designer imagined another way of telling the story in the play by building on the storyboard. Cartoons? Not really. An audiobook? Not exactly that either, but rather a hybrid project, “a technical bridge allowing the artwork to be born”, explains the filmmaker.
SIMON BOUDREAULT, MASTER MARINER
JUNE 21, 2021
Simon Boudreault has been Artistic Director of the Théâtre de l'Œil since the spring of 2020, replacing André Laliberté. “I took the helm in the midst of a storm,” he says. Despite the daunting winds and many perils, Simon has successfully delivered a first creation, Furioso, whose team is eager to present it to the public.
Link with playwriting
In the world of puppetry, Théâtre de l’Œil is an institution: “In two years, we will be celebrating the company's 50th anniversary!” says Simon Boudreault. “As an institution, we have duties to perform and a role to play. I want to establish links with contemporary playwriting, which is very much alive in Quebec, by inviting well-regarded playwrights to write for us. I started with Olivier Kemeid, for Furioso, and for our next creation we will have a female dramatist: for me, it is important that we alternate between men and women writers. Our playwrights have carte blanche, but they must respect our main parameter, which is puppetry for young audiences.”
ANDRÉ LALIBERTÉ AWARDED THE PRIX ALBERT-TESSIER 2020
NOVEMBER 6, 2020
On November 4th, André Laliberté received the 2020 Prix Albert-Tessier, one of the prestigious Prix du Québec artistic awards. The Prix Albert-Tessier, presented by the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, is the highest distinction granted to a person for their outstanding contribution to the performing arts in Québec.
ANDRÉ LALIBERTÉ - Théatre de l’Œil Co-founder and Artistic and General Director from 1973 to 2020
While mainly focusing on the artistic direction of Théâtre de l’Œil’s productions, André Laliberté was also a playwright, puppeteer and stage director. His passion for puppetry and his determination to transcend genres led him to bring together artists from every creative discipline to explore this age-old art form: renowned stage directors, visual artists, musicians and choreographers who were introduced to puppetry arts thanks to André Laliberté.