The creator of the États généraux de la Culture, who died in 2017, worked tirelessly to highlight the importance of culture as a crucible for social cohesion.
“Speaking the words of Jack Ralite is an act of resistance, declares the actor, a resistance to all renunciations. Cultural, political or poetic. A full and generous resistance that draws its strength from a sensitive understanding of human beings. A resistance armed only with the spoken word and the clairvoyance of the poets. Their voices, which we no longer know how to hear. A companionship that lifts us up to higher things. Vitez spoke of the actor following in the poet’s footsteps, like a walker in the sand who places his feet in the footprints of the person walking in front of him. So that time does not erase them. I try to walk the paths of all Jack Ralite’s struggles, of all his acts of defiance, I slip into his thinking like into a suit of light At every crossroads I meet Aragon, Char, Hugo, Vilar, Saint-John Perse, Baudelaire... Whenever asked the recurrent question: ‘Why do you write?’, the poet’s answer will always be simply: ‘To live better’.”
Christian Gonon invites us to discover the man, his commitments and his poetry through this adaptation of the book by Karelle Ménine, an anthology of Ralite’s interviews, texts and public speeches.

RENCONTRE
Nous organisons une rencontre avec le public à l'issue de la représentation du mercredi 17 mai, à partir de 19h30. Elle sera animée par Laurent Muhleisen, conseiller littéraire de la Comédie-Française, en présence de l’autrice Karelle Ménine et de Christian Gonon.
En libre accès, avec ou sans billet pour la représentation du soir.

REPRÉSENTATION ADAPTÉE EN LANGUE DES SIGNES FRANÇAISE (LSF)
Une représentation adaptée en LSF aura lieu le vendredi 2 juin à 18h30.
Équipe artistique adaptation LSF : cie On Off. Interprétation et traduction : Anthony Guyon. Adaptation et complicité LSF : Géraldine Berger.
Réservations sur le site de la billetterie ou via le service de l’accessibilité à l’adresse suivante : accessibilite@comedie-francaise.org

La représentation adaptée en LSF bénéficie du mécénat de la Fondation Covéa

Le texte La pensée, la poésie et le politique est publié par les éditions Les Solitaires Intempestifs.

Spectacle créé le 14 octobre 2020 au Studio-Théâtre.

THE THEATRICAL PRACTICE OF THE SOLO is relatively new to the Comédie-Française. Ever since the seventeenth century, the institution has defined itself first as a troupe of actors whose collective identity predominates over the expression of individualities. From as early as 1674 this quality was pointed out by Samuel Chappuzeau in his Théâtre Francois, when he compared theatre troupes to political “bodies” that functioned as so many small “Republics”. Commenting on actors, he wrote that “they admit no superiors, the name alone offends them; they all wish to be equal, and call each other comrades”. The motto of the Comédie-Française, Simul et Singulis (be together and be oneself), which appeared in 1682 along with the emblem of the buzzing hive, characterises this philosophy in which each contributes, though his or her own talent, to the collective work.

No solos... only soloists

While the practice of performing alone on stage is not considered a fitting pursuit, the “solo” form of the monologue is highly appreciated by the public, and sometimes staged to showcase the protagonist in all his or her splendour and in contrast with the rest of the troupe. This is an effect of the star system that clearly emerged in the nineteenth century.
Soloist practices most often developed outside of the theatre’s activity. Some actors embarked on personal tours that were sometimes scheduled without regard for the interests of the Comédie-Française –Talma or Rachel were capable of taking off while leaving their comrades in difficulty. They would travel with trunks full of costumes but recruit fill-in actors and find makeshift sets on the spot to perform the great scenes of their repertoire. The performance then resembled a recital of choice excerpts, selected to showcase the actor whose talent was all the more strongly emphasised given that he or she was performing alongside second-class actors if not to say amateurs.
The monologue per se developed at the end of the nineteenth century, thanks to the Coquelin brothers, but today remains an exception. The motto Simul et Singulis, perfectly sums up the indispensable paradox for any actor who is the member of a Troupe.

• Visual : Hive, engraving by Guillaumot fils

Concepted and performed by: Christian Gonon
Lights: Philippe Lagrue
Original music: Jérôme Destours
Artistic collaboration: Alain Lenglet

Avec les voix des comédiennes et comédiens de la troupe et de l’académie de la Comédie-Française