Michel Lemiux & Victor Pilon - Lemieux Pilon 4D Art

4d Art stvaraju novi medij, hibrid performansa, filma, videa, plesa, svjetlosnog dizajna, poezije, muzike i zvuka.

La Belle et la Bête: A Contemporary Retelling

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Created and directed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon
Text by Pierre Yves Lemieux, Translation by Maureen Labonté
A Co-production by Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and Lemieux Pilon 4D Art,
Luminato and Espace Jean-Legendre, Scéne nationale de l'Oise en préfiguration

In this contemporary take on a beloved classic, creators and producers Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon (Norman, La Tempête, Anima) deliver the timeless fairy tale of La Belle et la Bête in an astonishing new multi-disciplinary performance.
Though the compelling characters in this stunning new production are scarred, they manage to transcend their pain through their inexhaustible thirst for life.  They are intense, luminous beings, despite the shadows and wounds that so deeply mark them.
Belle grew up with loving parents, and an older sister who was a great storyteller.  But as her sister began to grow distant, caught up in a world of superficial pleasures, Belle found her own way through painting - encouraged on by her father, a reputable art dealer - until tragedy struck. Belle's beloved mother died suddenly, and her father, overcome with grief, pulled away from the younger daughter who bore such a striking resemblance to his lost love.
Through her painting, Belle not only finds a way to make sense of her world, but also finds it to be the last thread that links her to her dear father.  Little does she know, however, that her artistic pursuit would also set the stage for an encounter with her father's most demanding client.
As Belle immerses herself in the solitary life of a painter, a man also seeks solitude after the death of the love of his life.  Grief stricken, he shuts himself up in his splendid manor until, one day, he tries to escape the unbearable pain in a gesture that leaves him grossly disfigured - a Bête.  With this, he withdraws even further from the world.
When Belle shows up at the manor - to deliver the last rose of a stone medallion that her father had promised to his client  - she stirs up memories of happier times that add salt to the Bête’s wounds and further his resolve to remain deaf to any offerings of concern or friendship.
This chance encounter strikes at the very core of their steadfast resistance.  But while Belle willingly yields to the feelings that begin to fill her heart, the Bête is terrified by the chink in his emotional armor.  He sees no other way to protect himself but to waste away and die.
All the while, watching from the sidelines is La Dame - a world scholar on fairy tales, and the striking older woman who has long harbored a deep love for the Bête.  After suffering in silence for this man who had literally shut himself off from the world, La Dame finally relinquishes her hope.  As the weight of the years finally takes hold of her, she concedes that the only person that can possibly breathe la Bête back to life is Belle.
Masters of osmosis, blending real and virtual imagery, Lemieux Pilon 4D Art has once again set new standards with this production. All elements of the presentation  - from Belle's paintings to the characters' dramatic metamorphoses  - spring to life via virtual imagery. And the virtuosity deployed by the creators to tell the universal story of resilience and the redemptive power of love against all odds will surely hold audiences spellbound.




Norman


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(Re)discover the world of Norman McLaren!

NORMAN presents a singular integration of film into the realm of the performing arts by challenging the limits of both disciplines. Created as a tribute to Norman McLaren, the pioneer filmmaker, this production takes us on a journey of initiation into McLaren's playful animated landscapes in the company of dancer/chorographer Peter Trosztmer. Using their unique virtual reality visual language, Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon immerse us in the movement, abstraction, and humanism that are characteristic of the filmmaker's oeuvre.
More than a mere retrospective, NORMAN give us the opportunity to share Peter's passion for the dance and movement that run through the imaginary worlds of the films. Peter goes to the offices of the National Film Board of Canada, where McLaren worked for most of his life, in order to get a better understanding of the motivation that drove this creative genius. He will literally enter the films to dance, exchange, and interact with them. Peter's discoveries help us learn about the main themes of Norman McLaren's life and work.
This production bridges the gap between performance and documentary filmmaking. Peter screens interviews made with people who knew McLaren and his work; these witnesses materialize out of thin air and appear onstage to guide Peter in his exploration, sharing their knowledge and feelings about the filmmaker. A selection of about thirty works from McLaren’s corpus, some of them never released, underline the testimonies and allow Peter to communicate what he's learned, sometimes verbally, sometimes simply through the dance that links him to the films. McLaren once said that if he hadn't been a filmmaker, he would have been a choreographer; this show uses movement (of light, of images, of the body) as a way to access his creative world.
From Blinkity Blank (Palme d'Or in 1955) to Pas de deux (1968), from Begone Dull Care (1949) to Neighbours (Academy Award in 1952), this production will delight experts and neophytes alike. A true revolution in the world of the performing arts, NORMAN is the celebration of a major artist and his work, as well as the occasion to expose a whole new generation to the timelessness of beauty, the effectiveness of simplicity, and the importance of memory.

Lemieux Pilon 4D Art pays tribute to filmmaker Norman McLaren at Kennedy Center

By Nelson Pressley

The Canadian troupe Lemieux Pilon 4D Art is expert at integrating live performers with film figures. You remember Gene Kelly dancing with the animated mouse Tom from “Tom and Jerry”? They do that sort of thing on stage.
It’s seamless and beguiling throughout much of “Norman,” the company’s heartfelt tribute to filmmaker Norman McLaren (which wraps up a three-night stand at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater Saturday night). Never heard of McLaren? Apparently his short films, many of them abstract and whimsical — shapes and squiggles moving in synch with lively music — were staples on Canadian TV in the 1950s and 1960s.

(Victor Pilon) - Choreographer-dancer Peter Trosztmer interacts with holographic characters in "Norman.”

The 90-minute “Norman,” created by multimedia whizzes Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon with choreographer-dancer Peter Trosztmer, will show and tell you everything you need to know. Trosztmer narrates, playing the part of a young man obsessed with McLaren. He describes watching the shorts as a kid, and then you see snatches of the films projected on a huge screen across the stage. Trosztmer, smitten, frequently dances inside the images.
More cleverly — and “Norman” is nothing if not visually clever —Trosztmer retreats upstage into an office setting, where his research churns up video interviews. Trosztmer sits, and a cinematic figure sits next to him. More celluloid “people” begin to hover through the space, each talking about McLaren. All kinds of testimonials are worked in this way, filmed talking heads and bodies (including McLaren himself) ghosting the room and seemingly interacting with Trosztmer.
“He was the first person to give a line a heart and soul,” one expert says, and the films will make you believe that. The colorful shapes pulse and leap, glide and multiply; the effect is strangely charming, even though you’re simply watching moving forms in synch with catchy music. (Sample McLaren titles: “Lines: Horizontal,” “Lines: Vertical,” “Spheres.”) You can see why McLaren compared his art to dance, and why Trosztmer wants to dance along.
He partners fluidly with the images, swirling and tumbling and appearing to collide with the lines and balls and people — it’s very knockabout. Sobriety is restricted to a late passage with Trosztmer creating a slow, agonized and angular dance after some of McLaren’s darker, war-worried earlier works.
Give Lemieux, Pilon and Trosztmer credit for proportion: dance is second fiddle here, rarely upstaging the intriguing little movies that this group aims to celebrate. Every now and then the collaboration hits a sweet spot, especially when Trosztmer jumps into the shenanigans with some of McLaren’s stop-motion slapstick bits — the kind of silent-with-music shtick that can make a chair move away from a man who keeps trying to sit in it (“Chairy Tale”). It’s all a little weird but kind of wonderful, a retreat to the oddball delights of bygone Saturday mornings.

Starmania

Monopolis, the new capital of the Occident, is terrorized by the Black Stars, a gang headed by Johnny Rockfort who dances to the tune of Sadia, a student-agitator originally from the upper-crust who cross-dresses at night and descends into the underground to hand out orders.  They meet at the Underground Café under the amused gaze of Marie-Jeanne, the robotic waitress. 
Above this underground café stands the Golden Tower, a 100-storey building at the top of which sits the office of Zéro Janvier, a billionaire getting his feet wet in politics by running for the presidency of the Occident.  He bases his electoral campaign on a return to order and on the construction of the new atomic world.  Zéro Janvier thus becomes the sworn enemy of Johnny Rockfort and the Black Stars.  It’s in this framework that three parallel love affairs take shape and come undone: the impossible love of Marie-Jeanne for Ziggy, a young androgynous and mythomaniac record dealer; the sensational romance of Zéro Janvier and Stella Spotlight, a sex-symbol who’s just said farewell to the silver screen; and lastly and above all, the passion of Johnny Rockfort and Cristal, a true nexus of the plot.
Cristal, host and star of a TV show called “Starmania,” gets a call from Sadia offering her a clandestine interview with Johnny Rockfort whose face no one knows.
The get-together takes place at the Undergound Café.  For Cristal and Johnny it’s love at first sight.  They go off together, showing that Sadia has lost her hold over Johnny.  Cristal decides to become the spokeswoman for the Black Stars, transmitting clandestine messages by means of a neutron camera that lets her take over television frequencies.
Sadia, furious with jealousy, denounces Johnny and Cristal to Zéro Janvier on the evening he’s celebrating his engagement with Stella Spotlight at Naziland, a gigantic revolving discothèque perched above Monopolis.  The Black Stars have chosen this very evening to set off a bomb in the Golden Tower.
Zéro Janvier’s men hunt the Black Stars.  Cristal is hit, and dies in Johnny’s arms.  The shadow of Johnny Rockfort will darken the victory of Zéro Janvier, elected President of the Occident.  Terrorism against totalitarianism, two living forces in opposition, two dangers that threaten the world.
Stella Spotlight, revolted by power, returns to her dream of immortality.  And Marie-Jeanne, having had a bellyful of the underground world, heads off in search of sunlight.



DELIRIUM

How can we live in a world that is constantly changing before our very eyes?
How can we keep our feet on the ground and our head in the stars?
How can we open our eyes to the world around us and reconnect to our reality?
It is in answer to these questions that our main character and his story came to us, inspired by the music of Cirque du Soleil. Clinging to his ego, this man is in some ways the bearer of all our dreams, fears and hopes. He wanders from one world to the next, seeking his own identity in a journey that is at once fragmented and mysterious, meeting with numerous evocative characters.
Creators are rarely given the chance like the one that Cirque du Soleil has given us. In addition to believing in our vision, Cirque let us work with an audacious team whose talent and expertise are unmatched anywhere. DELIRIUM took form thanks to their refusal  to believe that anything was impossible and their burning desire to challenge their own limits.
DELIRIUM is the product of our imagination and vision. We hope that you will share it with us.

The Tempest of the millennium!

Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon join forces with Denise Guilbault to delve into the world of classical theatre in an unprecedented way. Co-produced with Théâtre du Nouveau Monde in Montréal, this spectacular version of Shakespeare's The Tempest is a mixmedia creation that is part of the continuum of virtual reality explorations developed by Lemieux and Pilon in Grand Hôtel des étrangers (1994), Orféo (1998) and Anima (2000). Peopled by spirits, phantoms, and illusions, this tale of revenge, forgiveness, and reconciliation is adapted by Normand Chaurette and fits perfectly into the open stage universe proposed by the creators.
Forced into exile because of his obsessive pursuit of knowledge, Prospero, Duke of Milan, is on an island with his daughter Miranda. Living in harsh conditions, Prospero continues his studies and prepares his revenge. He enlists the services of the magical spirit Ariel and the hypocritical servant Caliban to help carry out a plan to shipwreck his enemies on the shores of the island. While he manages to bring them to the verge of madness, his daughter falls in love with one of the survivors, the son of Prospero's greatest foe. He then realizes that revenge is a dead-end and that only forgiveness will bring him peace.
In this rendition of The Tempest, Prospero's world is split in two – on the one hand there is his real life on the island with his daughter and his servant, while on the other there is his imagination filled with enemies and spirits. A double universe is created onstage to illustrate the moving border between reality and fantasy. Real actors play the inhabitants of the island, but their lives are unsettled by the presence of virtual characters, actors projected onstage without the use of any visible screen! The illusion of three-dimensional spectral characters is an astounding tour de force that blurs the distinction between dream and consciousness. Close-ups, apparitions, and original visual effects situate this hybrid Tempest between theatre and cinema.
The Tempest has already been performed in many countries (in French with surtitles) and is a theatrical experience that not only offers a glimpse into avant-garde theatre, but also promotes the virtues of reconciliation, the uselessness of violence, and the power of dreams. At the start of the second millennium, The Tempest poses fundamental questions to humanity.

Anima
The Self Meets the Other

First performed in November 2002 at the Darling Foundry in Montreal, ANIMA toured the world until 2004. Featuring excerpts of interviews granted to the BBC by renowned anthropologist Desmond Morris, the production focuses on characters grappling with their memories. The themes of soul-searching and eradication are juxtaposed with Morris’ social analysis to illustrate the feeling of alienation that results from the increasing immateriality of our interpersonal relationships.
ANIMA is an impressionistic tale about a company of performers going on tour. On the road or at a hotel, alone or in a group, they illustrate and comment on the words of Desmond Morris with their performances. The clash between the real and the virtual reflects other tensions: those between body and soul, between the biological and the technological, between the present and the past, between reality and dreams. ANIMA reminds us that our humanity is quite fragile. Destructive instincts do nothing to reassure us about the survival of our species, but certain actions and feelings directed toward the greater welfare of the majority reinforce our sense of humanity.
This production called on the talents of performers from various disciplines (dance, theatre, music) in order to create an environment free of the linear constraints of space and time. The surreal universe, supported by virtual projections that were filmed live, gave rise to numerous explorations on the theme of the self and the other, all the while encouraging an awareness of the frailty of interpersonal relations. Furthermore, a good part of the visual and sound elements were controlled by triggers integrated into the costumes, adding to the fluidity of the performance.

ORFÉO 

Reacting to the Inconceivable

“Orpheus crosses the boundaries not only between life and death and between man and nature, but also between truth and illusion, reality and imagination.”— Joseph Campbell

Premiered in November 1998 at Usine C in Montreal, ORFÉO explores the transposition of classic myths into the contemporary world. Freely devised as a homage to Jean Cocteau, the production offers a voyage into the universe of mourning, the space where the land of the living and that of the dead are joined together. ORFÉO is also a plea for the strength of love, the pain of loss and the importance of human relations in a world that is increasingly disembodied.
Orféo, a peacekeeper who has recently returned from an overseas posting, has only a few hours to spend in the company of Eurydice, his lover, before she is hit by a reckless driver. Her death leaves him in a profound state of despair that he tries to soothe with drink, but alcohol only serves to blur the boundaries between life and death. Orféo starts to search for the soul of Eurydice, who has awakened in Hades where she meets the angel Heurtebise. The angel tries to understand why Eurydice is rebelling against her fate; he goes to the world of the living, finds Orféo and becomes his guide. The lovers are eventually reunited, but where exactly? Is love alive even though it exists only in the mind of one of the lovers? Does love make people crazed? Is it possible to heal the pain inflicted by such a great loss? ORFÉO suggests several new ways to explore these questions.
The production focuses on the physical performance of the actors and uses several visual techniques (projections of images and videos, shadows and virtual projections) to create a universe open to introspection. Furthermore, in ORFÉO the techniques of virtual projections became more flexible by recording the images in real time, thereby offering greater mobility to the performers. With these innovations the production manages to create a dreamlike environment that is superimposed on the reality of the stage setting, destabilizing the code of live theatrical performance. ORFÉO invites us to consider our own relationship with life and with the memories that haunt our existence.

Pôles

Imagine a powerful interplay between reality and illusion. Experience a new and fascinating dance / virtual performance. Witness the fusion of two explosive and innovative duos, Pierre-Paul Savoie / Jeff Hall and Michel Lemieux / Victor Pilon. Together, with Pôles, they challenge the audience’s perception of the real and virtual dancer leading us into a world of sheer fascination.
For Savoie and Hall, Pôles closes up the cycle initiated by their last major productions, Bagne and Duodénum, which made waves in the contemporary world of dance. For their part, Lemieux and Pilon have develop a vocabulary and poetic virtuality set above the frontiers of perception.
Pôles offers parallel portraits of two unrooted beings, two silhouettes merging into a fabulous universe each confronted by their differences. The piece twists and turns among the metaphoric lives of these individuals’ duality, fagility, hope and tolerance. A strange encounter reveals poetry and magic, a glimpse into the riches of the human soul.
Pôles is a fresco of our lives, a tale with themes to spare, magnifying, probing the human affiliation which reaches beyond time and space. A real tour de force, the piece confirms its creators’ maturity in artistic achievement.

Grand Hôtel des Étrangers

A cramped hotel room, a stranger, a text, a reflection. A life, which is recalled, which escapes reality, which enters into the imaginary world, the past, the present, displaced in time, piecemeal.
Through the magic and illusion of their virtual images, Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon guide the audience into hallucination and transport them into this Grand Hôtel des Étrangers. A man made of flesh and blood interacts with virtual characters projected in space around him. Where does the dream world begin, where does reality end?
Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon have a unique way of using modern technology : they blend theatre, performance and cinema into something completely original. They create productions which provide a foretaste of future forms of live entertainment.

In Mid Air

A falling man / A rising artist / A passionate woman / A child to be born / (All characters and events depicted in this movie are entirely fictitious. Any ressemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental) / Chasing dreams / Destinies scrutinised by an "eye" who seems to record everything / (smile, he might be watching you) / The contents of a black box / A space between time / Forbidden territories / Day in one place can be night in another / (Who’s never been In Mid Air ?)



Souffle de Pythagore

Audiences who attended Souffle de Pythagore experienced a full range of emotions at the show’s display of complexity and simplicity, chaos and creation, noise and harmony. The dancer Heather Mah found herself surrounded by imaginary characters and computer-generated imagery projected by holovideography – a truly unique event on the technical, human and artistic levels.
The holovideographic technique used for this production allows live performers and electronically designed animated characters to share the stage. Physical and ethereal characters appear together and lead the audience into an enchanting imaginary world.
Le Souffle de Pythagore was the first holovideographic production ever presented in Montreal. It was created by the internationally renowned performer Michel Lemieux, who was inspired by the painting L’Éloge de Pythagore, by the Quebec visual artist Luc Archambault.
Both works were commissioned by Systèmes Comptables Fortune 1000, the Quebec based company that makes the most widely sold accounting software in Canada.
A genuine success story in computer software development and marketing, Fortune 1000 continues to join forces with the world of creation by celebrating the power of the imagination.



Free Fall

A newcomer in a world of giants, I make up games, I play at being a man, a child-visitor in the hustle and bustle of the city. I seek the impossible, which does or does not exist. I pretend to be maker of a theatre of objects ; " draw me a house, draw me a person ". I question the real, the horizon and the shadows on the wings of a motionless voyage. I imagine you are actors in my invented theatre. I look for the invisible passage.
It is difficult to give adequate thanks to those who help us realize our dreams, but I must express my enormous respect for all the artists, technicians and production staff who have contributed to this show, particularly those at the National Arts Centre without whom this project would likely never have come to be.
Michel Lemieux
October 1990


Mutation

Mutations is a multi-media concert which involves musician/performers, technicians who also appear on stage, and a host of special effects, computers, projections and robots in a virtuoso blend of image-making and music.
The theme is no less than the emergence of a new man — from beginnings of life on Earth to the final mutation. The lyrics of Mr Lemieux’s songs, often laced with satirical humour, accompany music which ranges in style from blues to pop to jazz and electro-rock and deal with a search for meaning in a increasingly complex world.
As a performer, Mr Lemieux’s amazing vocal range is complemented by his physical intensity and seemingly boundless energy. In Mutations he is supported by the equally impressive musical talents of Paul Chenard and Frankline.
Mutations displays Michel Lemieux’s characteristic flair for creating dazzling stage pictures. His consistently clever staging, music, mime and visual effects engage the senses completely and the effect is overwhelmin

Solide Salad

Solide Salad looks like nothing else. This show is unique! Music? Dance? Theatre? It's everything at the same time. This is an amazing one-man show by a 26-year-old Quebecer. The show would be an amazing feat if it was not transcended by his implacable rigors. A multidisciplinary show where Lemieux's antecedents, photography and design, allow a great work with his body and the lighting. Everything goes very fast. We think of Laurie Anderson or Peter Grabriel. Michel Lemieux talks with Oscar, a machine to whom he asks : « Are you robot or rebel? »  He jumps in a forest of  javelins, changes costumes, pushes square rocks and speaks solemnly to a TV screen. His voice sounds like Yma Sumac; in common, they have the joy of singing. Excentric, his humour, as opposed to Laurie Anderson's, target a broad audience, even though the visual references are more 20's russian avant-garde, with a smile...  The light beams that this little prince sends in the eyes of the audience are arrows – not fatal but stimulating – shot like a call by a dadaist level-crossing keeper. A style so modern and so rare...
Frank Mallet


L'Oeil Rechargeable

There, funk music meets opera
There, visual performance, electronic technology and language become one
There, vocal research go against all the conventional codes
There, lights intertwine with movements
There, a complex universe is controled with precision and humor
There, L'Oeil Rechargeable, a solo creation by Michel Lemieux

Interview: MICHEL LEMIEUX of 4D Art

In line with the ethos that SiouxWIRE advocates, Michel Lemieux's creations merge media and span class. Founding Lemieux.Pilon 4D Art in 1983, directors Michel Lemiux and Victor Pilon combine performing arts with new media to create a hybrid show merging performance, scenography, cinema, video, dance, poetry, visual arts, lighting design, music and sound. The results are striking and coherent.

Here is an example from their latest performance. Note that this clip has no post production. The visuals were filmed as they were on stage.

Presenting more than 300 performances since its creation, Lemiux.Pilon 4D Art has worked internationally and in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. Their latest project, Norman is a tribute to Norman McLaren and the history of art animation.
Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon are currently working on the opera version of Starmania by Luc Plamondon and Michel Berger that will be presented during the festivities of the 400th anniversary of Quebec City with performances on the 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, and 26 of May 2008.
As well as introducing their work to South America in Bogota, Columbia, Lemieux.Pilon 4D Art will also be taking Norman on tour this year.

Michel very kindly agreed to be interviewed in Fall 2007, but due to some technical difficulties it has taken some time to release this interview. Enjoy.What was the inspiration and purpose of your establishment of 4d Art in 1983?
The inspiration was to merge different forms of expression, such as visual arts, dance, theater, cinema, music, in the context of performing arts. One can say that Opera is doing so for centuries, I think in fact ancient Greek theater was quite multi-disciplinarian. Specialisation came later and confined the different mediums to a highly specialized form. All mediums of representation represent in fact a possible way to approach creativity. In our times, I think we are ready to put things in relation, in interpenetration with each other.
And how did your collaboration with Victor Pilon begin? And how do you feel the two of you compliment each other?
Victor has been in visual fine arts for a while when we met. I have studied in theater, so our interest and competences were so compatible that we started to work together in a very natural way. We could say that this more than 20 years collaboration is a based on a very strong friendship that helped us to become what we are as humans and artists.

In general, we do all concepts and direction together, Vic would more specialised in space elements such as artistic direction, visual arts, and I would be more focused on «time» elements, such as music , editing, timing but in fact we share all the aspects of the creation in consensual way.

"When we intellectualised too much in advance we tend to be less in our element."

In blurring the borders of artistic expression, what discoveries have you made in terms of expression? And what do you feel have been most successful and have there been any failures in your mind?
We are at our best when we work in a intuitive way! When we intellectualise too much in advance we tend to be less in our element. As for dancers, our expression is processed through our bodies, our emotive self before it get through to our intellect. Universality is for us not just an idea but more of a emotive state, that transcends intellect.

What led to Soleil de Minuit and your further collaborations with Cirque du Soleil? And what did you learn from these collaborative projects?
We did different artistic consultation work for Cirque before we embarked on a large scale project like Soleil de Minuit. We have been creating different big scale outdoor event in the past, such as a night parade with 1500 performers for a 200,000 crowd in the streets, and other such big outside events for the Montreal Jazz Festival for example, using streets and buildings as the setting. Delirium, which is on tour in Europe right now, is our most ambitious touring creation so far.

Would you tell us about your production Norman featuring the animated works of Norman McLaren combined with performer/choreographer Peter Trosztmer. How did this project develop and would you tell us about the interaction between Peter and Norman’s animations both in practical and artistic terms?
We are fans of Norman McLaren films since childhood, so it was a very inspiring project to create a kind of homage to him and his creation. This project was planned since years, but we did The Tempest and Delirium in the mean time. McLaren said many times that if he would not be a film-maker he would have liked to be a dancer, so the choice of Peter Troszmer was an obvious one.

After directing a team of more then 200 persons ( more then 50 on stage) for Delirium, we really wanted to come back to an intimate process of creation. It was such a pleasure to be only a couple of artists working in this creation process, shortening the «interface» between us and the creation. It is important for us to alternate bigger and smaller scope projects, to keep track of the real base of creation, which is basically a collaborative exchange of ideas and emotions between artist and the public.

Peter is a luminous person and along with Thea Paterson and us as directors, he created the choreographic aspect of the show. His relation with the film is very personal and of course admirative of the immense body of work of Norman McLaren.

In regards to Delirium, you’ve said it was based on an “urban tribal beat” and your explanation of this is interesting touching on how human beings live in an urban setting. How have the various locations where you’ve visited and lived impacted you and your work?
The great Desmond Morris said once that even if we live in big cities, we tend to have something like 150 important persons in our personal phone/internet book. 150 relatives, friends or acquaintances that represent in fact our «virtual» tribe dispersed in the city and in the world trough travelling and internet.

The ancestral village, the tribe concept is very active even in this very anonymous world we live in. The difference with our ancestors is that we do not require proximity to establish the links. But I think personally that physical presence is still very important to really exchange feelings and emotions.

Over the years, you’ve built up quite a repertoire of work. Are there any works which stand out in your mind or marked key events in your development as an artist?
Of course, the first projects in one's career are founding blocks for the rest to come. Because I live more in the present and the future, I tend to say that our next project will be the most significant ! As an artist and as humans we change and hopefully evolve through time!!!

Some years ago on the French arts channel Mezzo in Prague, I saw several performances by a dance group (their name escapes me and indeed, you may have been involved) who made use of projection and illusion in their narratives. What are your feelings when you see your work inspiring others?
The world becoming a smaller and smaller village, everyone could inspire others. We worked years ago on a performance called «Pôles» , maybe that is the work you are relating to. Anyway, I think interpenetration of the creative fabric is a incredible good thing for humanity.

The marriage of the technical and artistic has typically met with resistance. Why do you think that is?
Fear of the unknown, of course ! That feeling is creating wars, racism, etc. It creates as well neophobia ; fear of the exploration of new territory. It is very disturbing for conservative people to experience new things, so they tend to deny it.

New technology and ideas apply to art is a very old process, in fact it may be at the core of artistic expression. Think about the first visual arts in ancient caves, the incredibly well designed ancient Greek theatres, the invention of very complex musical instruments such as a violin or a piano which appears nowadays like very «classical» means but where in fact a pure new technology when it was invented.

"As a spectator I want to be touched by what I experience."

What do you think the individual mediums which make up your hybrid performances can learn from your methods?
I think that the boundaries between mediums are illusions, like the frontiers between countries and people! Look at a terrestrial globe and you will see that these are only illusionary drawing lines. As a spectator I want to be touched by what I experience. It could be only by one actor on an empty stage or by a integration of different mediums. I think all artists have to be very true to themselves and use whatever they feel is right for their expression. At the end, the medium should disappear to let the expression flow without any «blocking» of the interface ; the mediums used in the creation.

What artistic disciplines do you practice and what do you feel are some of the strengths of the individual disciplines and how are they different when combined in a multidisciplinary piece?
Victor and me are what you can call «specialists» of multidisciplinary creation ! Our work is on the merging , the point of «melting» of the different mediums and artists we work with. Multidisciplinary creation is not a juxtaposition but a kind of multiplication of mediums ; creating an expression that would be impossible otherwise. But this is not a dogma ! Specialised artists are still very inspiring and important. You have to follow your instinct and ours is multi disciplinarian.

How important would you say accessibility is to art? And what do you think about the gradation of art between “high brow” and “low brow”? Does it serve any purpose and is it in any way constructive?
I think art is very important for all mankind! It is often the expression of our the collective unconscious. The difference between high and low art is just another expression of insecure privileged people. I am writing this while we are in tour in the north of Mexico with the show «Norman». in a festival which is giving away all the tickets for all the indoor shows. It is my first experience of a such democratic festival, which is subsidised by the state. I find it incredibly inspiring that we will perform in a very large «chic» theater for people that are not very used to that. I wish there would more state initiatives like that!

Is it important to you that your work can be widely enjoyed and appreciated across a diverse audience from children to adults and across nationality?
Yes of course. You never know when you will touch someone in a deep manner. Sometimes people come to us to talk about the strong impact on there life did a creation we did many many years ago. In time of existential personal questioning, this is a good reminder of the purpose of your work in society. Artists cannot change the world but can touch some individuals, sometimes in a deep way.

How would you say your work compares to dance and theatre presented in more spartan environments? And how do you avoid overshadowing the narrative and performance with effects in your work? (Indeed, Norman seems to be a one-on-one performance between dancer + animation)
We try to work on a «meeting» point of the real world of real artists on stage and the virtual world of projected imagery. This «shock» between life and dreams is a very rich one to explore. In fact I think more and more artists such as movie makers are exploring it right now. It should be an opening on a more philosophical or even spiritual way to approach life and reality as we define it.

What do you see as the future of your work? And generally speaking, will multi-disciplinary work be more common?
You see multi disciplinarians more and more in scientific teams of researchers as in teams of artists. It could be a expression of a will to experience things in a more global way. Opera and cinema are already very multidisciplinary forms of art. Our generation did not invent it, we just follow and explore what other did before us.

What are you working on now and are there any projects or collaborations which you would like to pursue in future?
In fact, Victor and me are working on an opera right now! It is very inspiring to work with symphonic music. This will be a new creation but the style of the music is mostly neo-classical, with all the lyricism and beauty it involved. It will open next May in Canada, so we are right in the middle of the creation of it!

À SUIVRE...

Thank you, Michel.

siouxwire-annex.blogspot.com

Links:
Lemieux.Pilon 4D Art
John Lambert Associates
Opera de Québec
Cirque du Soleil
Delirium
Digital Performance Archive

Live from Luminato 2012

by Avia Moore

Photo by Yves Renaud

Live from Luminato! Yesterday was the formal launch of the 2012 Luminato Festival in Toronto. As well as a gala red-carpet party, multiple headlining events opened, and there were free concerts in the outdoor festival space. There is definitely a buzz around Luminato, evident even to a newcomer to Toronto like me. And so far the noise I’ve heard has been positive. In a climate of Canadian arts cuts, Luminato is certainly featuring grand events and big names. More thoughts on that as the festival progresses and I have the chance to explore the scene.
I spent launch night at the opening night of La Belle et la Bête, the newest multimedia offering from Montreal-based Lemieux Pilon 4D Art (through June 12). Creators Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon have an impressive list
of large-scale productions behind them and are internationally recognized for their work interdisciplinary, immersive, and media rich productions.
In 2011 La Belle et la Bête premiered in Montreal in French. The English language production is a commission from Luminato, presented here for the first time. The choice to present it in English is understandable and yet still strikes me as odd. On the one hand there is no doubt that translating the production into English gives it wider appeal in English-speaking Canada, therefore bringing Québécois artists to the rest of the country. On the other hand, I feel that any Canadian festival of this size, especially one supported by both provincial and federal government funding, should feature at least some French programming. Most major Canadian cities are home to a French community and, in an officially bilingual country, that should be reflected in festival programming. Politics aside, the English script is poetic and honest. At times the language feels a trifle forced and it is hard to say whether that is the structure of the play itself or an issue of translation.

Photo by Yves Renaud

The story is for the most part familiar and linear, but there are certain gaps in character development that might be solved through a non-linear treatment. Though we told that the setting is contemporary, there are few visuals clues to that effect. Belle (Bénédicte Décary) and the Beast (Stéphane Demers) are irresistibly drawn together through their individual sadnesses. Belle, a hipster-esque artist, is not a prisoner of his castle but returns out of a obsessive need to capture his tortured soul by drawing him. I was delightfully surprised by character of the Lady (Diane D’Aquila) who, after threatening to become yet another fairy-tale narrator, becomes instead a wonderfully demonic “good fairy”–easily the most interesting, funny, and well-developed character in the piece. (Spoiler: her jealousy-driven description of how she would like to kill Belle is morbidly delightful.)
I have a love/hate relationship with digital media in the theater. Maybe we all do by now. Perhaps a company that is a theater of digital media ought to be evaluated a little differently than a theater company using media in one production. So I tried to watched the performance without questioning the use of media but looking rather how it was used and the varying degrees of effectiveness of that use.
Like any highly mediated production, La Belle et la Bête is frought with issues of liveness. It is incredibly difficult for live actors to compete with the projected media. Décary, D’Aquila, and Demers work very hard to maintain their presence while surrounded by digital specters. D’Aquila is the most successful, with a presence that belies her businesslike costume. But to their credit, none of them are fully lost under the deluge of media.
There are two levels to the media: live scenery that is essentially 2D but layered through the use of multiple  scrims, and 3D characters–think Star Trek hologram–that interact with the live performers. The scenic projections, while often beautiful, are most effective when they are subtle. On occasion elements of scenery evolve so slowly that it almost feels like a trick of our own eyes. There is a gargoyle, for example, slowly changes position over the course of a scene. I also found the scenic transitions more dynamic than the static scenes as both the projections and the scrim surfaces moved fluidly across the stage. In such a media-rich production, even the projected images sometimes compete with each other. Some of the effects wow more than others. The rain effect in particular is gorgeous – and the performer reacted with a such a detailed physical response that I kept expecting her to be really drenched. Other effects feel more force, added as filler perhaps but distracting instead of adding to the whole.
The reappearing holographic characters are infinitely more interesting, though also more problematic in terms of timing and stage space. Having never performed with a hologram, I am not sure how (or indeed whether) they appear to the actor on the stage. The live performers interacted with the digital ones with certainly and confidence but there were a few moments where the two worlds did not quite line up. The holographic characters are witty, stubborn, and persistent, inner demons that won’t be banished. They got more laughs than the live characters.
It was almost a relief to see the actors on the bare stage at the end – they seemed much larger and more vital. A summary moment on a rare bare stage from the fairy (or is she an witch?) at the end suggests that all the media might simply be projections of our own imaginations. This is a powerful suggestion – how do we tell and ornament the stories that we each tell? Rather than seeking to fill the space through media, I would love to see 4D Art explore the way media changes space. Their command of cutting edge technology is exciting but I think it could truly extend the storytelling rather than simply support it. -www.culturebot.net/

S njihova bloga:

La Belle et la Bête's review from Luminato

A fairy tale of 4D visual beauty

REVIEWED BY PAULA CITRON 

Five years ago, Toronto discovered the immense imagination of Montreal’s Lemieux Pilon 4D Art, who brought their show, Norman, to Luminato’s 2007 edition. The brilliant show fused the experimental films of Canadian cinematic pionner Norman McLaren with live dancer Peter Trosztmer. 

The amazing Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon of 4D Art are back once again on the Luminato playbill. Their latest show is La Belle et la Bête : A Contemporary Retelling, an awe-inspiring production that cunningly integrates text and technology to create new visual theatre form all its own.

Lemieux and Pilon were inspired by the classic fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast. For them, we all have the beast inside us : our psyches are deformed by our never-ending quest for beauty – a word which can stand for perfection, happiness, love – the curse of today’s individualistic society.

In his grief over a lost love, the Beast (Stéphane Demers) has isolated himself in his castle. He meets Belle (Bénédicte Décary) when she comes to deliver a rose medaillion from her father. Belle is also a visual artist whose inner trauma of abandonment is reflected in her blood-smeared paintings of bound figures. There is also the mysterious narrator called The Lady (Diane D’Aquila) who is the Beast’s protector.

The text by poet Pierre-Yves Lemieux is a bit windy, and is the weakest part of the show.

Yet the glory of La Belle et la Bête lies in its integration of film and live action. Anne-Séguin Poirier’s set is a platform between two borders, with the borders acting as projection screens. Projections also appear on the back and sides of the playing area, and at some points, cover the entire walls of the theatre itself. In fact, at times, it’s hard to know what is real and what is not.

When you layer in composer Michel Smith’s atmospheric cinematic score, and Alain Lortie’s evocative lighting, La Belle et la Bête is a masterpiece of arts fusion.

The show begins with The Lady and a large copy of Henry Fuseli’s 1781 oil painting The Nightmare. The famous picture features a woman asleep with an ugly gremlin hovering over her naked body. As The Lady talks to us about the beast within, the picture slowly revolves, bringing the gremlin more and more into a larger focus until it dominates the screen.

We first meet Belle in her low rent studio which is established by virtual walls. Pictures of her tortured bound figures are everywhere. She dips her hand into a real pail, and with a flinging motion, throws smears of virtual red paint all over paintings. The timing is perfection.

And then there are the masterful holograms.

That a show with so many visual delights is also erotic, poetic and philosophical just gilds the lily.

Friday, 8 June, 2012

La Belle et la Bête is Luminato's Festival Highlight

Bénédicte Décary and Stéphane Demers star in multimedia La Belle Et La Bête, a Luminato highlight.

LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE created by Michel Lemieux, Victor Pilon and Pierre-Yves Lemieux, translated by Maureen Labonté, with Diane D’Aquila, Bénédicte Décary, Stéphane Demers and Anne-Marie Cadieux. Presented by Lemieux Pilon 4D Art and Luminato at the Bluma Appel (27 Front East). Opens Friday (June 8) and runs to Tuesday (June 12), Friday-Saturday and Monday-Tuesday 7:30 pm, matinees Saturday 2 pm and Sunday 3 pm. $49-$99. 416-368-4849, luminato.com. See listing.

Luminato Preview

Belle of the ball

Beauty And The Beast tale gets a magical modern update

By Jon Kaplan

Don’t look for anything disneyfied in La Belle Et La Bête, Lemieux Pilon 4D Art’s contemporary retelling of the tale in which a troubled woman and a disfigured man discover love’s redemptive power.

That modern element also figures in the presentational style: creator/directors Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon have live performers interact with characters created through virtual reality.

“Jean Cocteau, in his 40s film La Belle Et La Bête, introduced us to the possibility of having the traditional French fairy tale make a different sort of statement,” says Lemieux from the company’s Montreal studio. “[Our production] isn’t a tribute or an adaptation of Cocteau, but something quite original.”

In this telling, written by Pierre-Yves Lemieux, Belle is a painter whose father withdraws emotionally when her mother dies in a car accident; she uses art to try to make sense of her world. The man is another grief-stricken figure, one who fears intimacy. He’s turned into a beast when he unintentionally scars himself.

The script’s third character is La Dame, a figure from an early French version of the story. Here, she’s the narrator, an older woman who becomes the man’s protector after his parents’ deaths and harbours an unspoken love for him.

“Our first question when we started working was what themes to address,” recalls Pilon, who’s collaborated with Lemieux since the 90s. “We decided to explore appearance and what lies beneath the surface.

“Is it possible, especially in today’s world, to fall in love with the soul rather than the person we see? Given the virtual reality we live with every day on the internet and various electronic media, how do we sort out reality from fantasy?”

Despite the fantasy element inherent in fairy tales, the two artists say the narratives we hear in childhood are key to understanding the world.

“Bedtime stories like La Belle Et La Bête are part of our DNA, and not just intended for youngsters,” muses Lemieux. “The psychological and emotional weight they carry are part of the way we live and function in life.

“In this tale especially, which deals with what we see and what’s hidden underneath, it’s appropriate that we not only talk about appearance but also use it, use the imagery we create onstage, to show how it conditions us to view other people.”

That imagery is pretty impressive. Check out the online clips at 4dart.com/home.html in which a horse gallops across the stage, a young man fights with an earlier version of himself, characters have virtual sex and La Dame reveals her inner desires.

“The hard part isn’t filming the virtual reality – it’s having the actors interact and play with what’s invisible to them,” admits Pilon. “When the actors believe in what they’re doing, so will the audience.”

“We really need the live performers, not just the technology,” agrees Lemieux. “Our job is to use the latter without turning the actors into machines.

“In the end, it’s not about having the actors and the virtual world working side by side, but instead collaborating in an integrated fashion. The result isn’t pure theatre, pure cinema or pure design, but rather a multiplication of those various arts to create a sense of wonder.”

jonkap@nowtoronto.com

Belle of the Ball

Tuesday, 15 May, 2012

La Belle et la Bête to tour in France in 2013

Starting with eight representations at the Theatre national de Chaillot in Paris, Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon’s, La Belle et la Bête will tour France in February and March 2013.  The tour will take the company to Compiègne, Arcachon, Bayonne, Colombes, Nevers and Ste-Maxime  ( a few other stops to be confirmed soon). 

It is a return to the prestigious Théâtre de Chaillot by Lemieux Pilon 4D Art who had presented in 2010, their previous multidisciplinary show Norman during the Anticode Festival.

The show will star Bénédicte Décary (as Belle), Louise Laprade (as The Lady) and Stéphane Demers (as the Beast). Anne-Marie Cadieux (the Sister) and Peter James (the Demon) will appear virtually.

The team has been rehearsing for the past month in an old boat factory in Montréal La Belle et la Bête for the world English language premiere at Toronto’s Luminato Festival in June 2012.  The show will also be presented at Arts Emerson Theater in Boston in December 2012.

Check out The Gazette’s article with photos and a vidéo of the new version in English: Beauty and the Multimedia Beast

 Photo by Allen McInnis

Wednesday, 4 April, 2012

Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon’s La Belle et la Bête : A Contemporary Retelling to première in June at the Luminato Festival in Toronto

Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon (Norman, Delirium) premiere the English-language version of their award-wining show, La Belle et la Bête at the Luminato Festival in Toronto in June 2012. La Belle et La Bête : A Contemporary Retelling, created by Michel Lemieux, Victor Pilon and Pierre-Yves Lemieux, translated by Maureen Labonté, now begins its touring career outside Quebec. Following this premiere, the production will subsequently be presented in the 2012-13 season of ArtsEmerson in Boston. The production features Bénédicte Décary (Belle) : Stéphane Demers (the Beast) and Diane D’Aquila (the Lady), with Anne-Marie Cadieux (the Sister) and Peter James (the Lady’s demon) appearing virtually. The show runs at the Bluma Appel Theatre from June 8th to June 12th 2012.

« …striking, exciting, convincing…an extraordinary show » Benoit Aubin, Le Journal de Montréal 23 janvier 2011.

Adored by the media, with a sold-out run in Montreal and across Québec, this contemporary adaptation of the classic tale won three Gascon-Roux awards (awards for Directing/Staging, Set Design and Lighting). Initially produced for the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde (TNM), La Belle et la Bête is a co-production of Lemieux Pilon 4D Art, Luminato and the Scène Nationale de l’Oise (France).

Watch the video of Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon presenting La Belle et la Bête: A Contemporary Retelling at the Luminato press conference.

Monday, 26 September, 2011

Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon Present the American Premiere of NORMAN in Washington

Peter Trosztmer in NORMAN. Photo: Victor Pilon.

Having toured in Canada, Europe, Asia and Latin America, NORMAN, created by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, will make its American premiere at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on October 6, 7 and 8, 2011. It is the fourth production of Lemieux Pilon 4D Art to be performed in this theatre.

"We have a longstanding relationship with The Kennedy Centre in Washington and are honoured to be giving the American premiere of NORMAN, a tribute to the OSCAR™ winning Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren, in this prestigious theatre," said Michel Lemieux. "This production integrates film with dance and music, extending the limits of these disciplines bringing the audience in McLaren’s innovative world."

"We hope that spectators will enjoy our journey into the movement, abstraction and humanism that characterize the films of this genius of the moving image. McLaren’s playful animated landscapes provide a framework for the show and truly reflect his personality," added Victor Pilon.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is one of the most important and well-attended theatres in the United States. A wide range of American and international shows are presented there including plays, musicals, contemporary dance, ballet, opera, orchestral and popular music, as well as multimedia productions.

Tuesday, 20 September, 2011

Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon will be the artistic directors of the new Planetarium Rio-Tinto Alcan immersive show.

Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon will be the artistic directors behind the immersive show and the permanent exhibition of the new Planetarium Rio-Tinto Alcan of Montreal which will open in 2013.

From the Planetarium website :

The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium will include two immersion theatres, hosting multimedia shows using the latest technology. They will each be housed in a circular structure resembling a telescope peering out at the Universe, and will offer unique experiences for visitors. One will appeal to their minds, and the other to their emotions.

The first show, designed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, will be presented in the first theatre when the Planetarium opens, in spring 2013. This poetic, immersive experience will take visitors on a voyage through space lasting about 20 minutes, transporting them from a world on a human scale to the infinitely large and then back to the infinitely small.

The second theatre will host a more scientific show, beneath the starry dome. This time visitors themselves will choose the destination of their journey! The show, with live commentary, will appeal to their minds and senses as they explore the constellations.

The permanent exhibition: Learning about the Universe

The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium's permanent exhibition room will be the ideal place to discover the cosmos. Visitors will be able to admire the meteorite collection displayed in the geology laboratory.

This discovery space will have a “library” of interactive multimedia terminals, with spherical screens and spaceship-like walls. Their constantly updated content will make them the perfect tools for visitors looking to learn more about astronomy. They can also try out a space flight simulator and see how it feels to be a weightless astronaut in space!

Tuesday, 30 August, 2011

The TNM's suscribers give three prizes to La Belle et la Bête

Monday, 21 March, 2011

A new video for La Belle et la Bête

Here's our brand new video for La Belle et la Bête. Enjoy!

Tuesday, 22

La Belle et la Bête on tour

Thursday, 3 February, 2011

La Belle et la Bête : new shows added!

You haven't seen La Belle et la Bête yet? Here's your chance! The Théâtre du Nouveau Monde added two news shows on February 22nd and 23rd and good seats are still availabe. To purchase your tickets go to http://www.tnm.qc.ca/billetterie/index.html

For more pictures, visit La Belle et la Bête's section of our website.

Photos: Yves Renaud

What have been said about La Belle et la Bête

“…visually stunning and intellectually intriguing enough to warrant a second viewing." Pat Donnelly, The Gazette, January 21, 2011.

The following are translations from French :

 “Pilon and Lemieux’s technical prowess - and those of the team of specialists who have worked on this impressive project – is so advanced that one quickly forgets one is not at the cinema or in front of a computer.”  Benoit Aubin, Le Journal de Montréal, January 23, 2011.

“We witnessed a reinvention of theatre and were happy we were the chosen ones who got to SEE and LIVE such an extraordinary (theatrical) moment!” Sarah-Émilie Nault, patwhite.com, January 2011.
 
“After La Tempête (2005, TNM) and NORMAN (which has been touring for the last few years), directors Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon once again showcase their immense talent as visual, avant-garde creative artists. “ David Lefebvre, montheatre.qc.ca, January 21, 2011.

“A fairy tale for adults with undeniably powerful visuals, Michel Lemieux, Victor Pilon and Pierre Yves Lemieux ‘s definitively contemporary interpretation of La Belle et la Bête, beautifully explores the angst of love, intimacy and redemption, while respecting the codes and symbols of traditional fairytales.” David Lefebvre, montheatre.qc.ca, January 21, 2011.

“At one point (during the show) I had to use my binoculars to make sure that it was the real François Papineau on stage and not a 3D projection. And as special effects extend outside the traditional stage onto the walls of the theatre, the spectator has the impression that he is surrounded by the action and immersed in the atmosphere of the play (…) I tell you, find tickets for this play, because otherwise you are going to miss a show that will stay in your mind for a long time.” Nelson Dumais, La Chronique de Nelson, cyberpresse.ca, January 24, 2011.

“Let’s say it outright: rarely has a theatre show created and produced in Québec mastered so beautifully technology and special effects: the spectators are taken on a truly magical odyssey.”  Martine Côté, soundbeatmag.com, January 23, 2011.

“The desire to immerse the spectator in the essence of the play is not only reflected in the intervention of the narrator, portrayed brilliantly and mysteriously by Andrée Lachapelle, but also in the set where Lemieux and Pilon extend their poetic technology off the stage and into the walls of the theatre.” Alexandre Vigneault, La Presse, January 22, 2011.

“The strength of La Belle et la Bête, version 2010, lies in the interaction between the characters and the projections: by not having to constantly change sets, the play gains fluidity and openness.  Say goodbye to the limits of the stage; it is now possible to be in a surreal world and have a play that is capable of transporting us further into an imaginary world.” Hugo Prévost, pieuvre.ca, January 23, 2011.


“Beautifully romantic, without being insipid.”  Catherine Perrin, Six dans la cite, Radio-Canada.

“There is an aura of freshness and creativity with a sensuality and erotic aura constantly present.  I told you that the 2011 theater season was strong, but with this (La Belle et la Bête) we have already reached a peak.”  Annie-Soleil Poteau, C’est bien meilleur le matin, Radio-Canada.

Thursday, 13 January, 2011

The first pictures of La Belle et La Bête.

Eager to see our new show? To help you bear with the wait, here are some pictures taken during the rehearsals. The show starts on January 18th at the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde. Click here to get your tickets.

Bénédicte Décary and François Papineau

Bénédicte Décary and, in virtual, Violette Chauveau

François Papineau in virtual and Bénédicte Décary

Andrée Lachapelle and, in virtual, Peter James

Monday, 15 November, 2010

La Belle et la Bête, the costumes

Here are a few sketches made by Anne-Séguin Poirier who designed the costumes for La Belle et la Bête.

La Belle - sketches by Anne-Séguin Poirier

La Dame - sketches by Anne-Séguin Poirier

Tuesday, 9 November, 2010

La Belle et la Bête's synopsis

You are curious about what our version of La Belle et la Bête will be like? To give you a little preview, here is the synopsis of our show. 

La Belle et la Bête

A coproduction Lemieux Pilon 4D Art and Théâtre du Nouveau Monde

Conceived and directed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon

Text by Pierre Yves Lemieux

Approximately 90 minutes, no intermission

In this contemporary take on a beloved classic, creators and producers Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon (Norman, La Tempête, Anima) deliver the timeless fairy tale of La Belle et la Bête in an astonishing new multi-disciplinary performance.

Though the compelling characters in this stunning new production are scarred, they manage to transcend their pain through their inexhaustible thirst for life.  They are intense, luminous beings, despite the shadows and wounds that so deeply mark them.

Belle grew up with loving parents, and an older sister who was a great storyteller.  But as her sister began to grow distant, caught up in a world of superficial pleasures, Belle found her own way through painting - encouraged on by her father, a reputable art dealer - until tragedy struck. Belle's beloved mother died suddenly, and her father, overcome with grief, pulled away from the younger daughter who bore such a striking resemblance to his lost love.

Through her painting, Belle not only finds a way to make sense of her world, but also finds it to be the last thread that links her to her dear father.  Little does she know, however, that her artistic pursuit would also set the stage for an encounter with her father's most demanding client.

As Belle immerses herself in the solitary life of a painter, a man also seeks solitude after the death of the love of his life.  Grief stricken, he shuts himself up in his splendid manor until, one day, he tries to escape the unbearable pain in a gesture that leaves him grossly disfigured - a Bête.  With this, he withdraws even further from the world.

When Belle shows up at the manor - to deliver the last rose of a stone medallion that her father had promised to his client  - she stirs up memories of happier times that add salt to the Bête’s wounds and further his resolve to remain deaf to any offerings of concern or friendship. 

This chance encounter strikes at the very core of their steadfast resistance.  But while Belle willingly yields to the feelings that begin to fill her heart, the Bête is terrified by the chink in his emotional armor.  He sees no other way to protect himself but to waste away and die.

All the while, watching from the sidelines is La Dame - a world scholar on fairy tales, and the striking older woman who has long harbored a deep love for the Bête.  After suffering in silence for this man who had literally shut himself off from the world, La Dame finally relinquishes her hope.  As the weight of the years finally takes hold of her, she concedes that the only person that can possibly breathe la Bête back to life is Belle.

Masters of osmosis, blending real and virtual imagery, Lemieux Pilon 4D Art has once again set new standards with this production.   All elements of the presentation  - from Belle's paintings to the characters' dramatic metamorphoses  - spring to life via virtual imagery.   And the virtuosity deployed by the creators to tell the universal story of resilience and the redemptive power of love against all odds will surely hold audiences spellbound. 

Monday, 30 August, 2010

A good piece on NORMAN which aired on PBS in 2008.

Watch the full episode. See more Art Express.

This piece was made for the PBS show Art Express.

Monday, 12 July, 2010

The first images of La Belle et la Bête

Are you curious as to what our next show La Belle et la Bête will look like? Last May, the first rehearsals and projection tests took place. Here are some pictures of the results of these experiments. For the cause, Michel Lemieux himself, played the Beast. Let us know what you think.

Wednesday, 16 June, 2010

Review of NORMAN in Waterloo's The Record

Following its run during the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, THE RECORD, Waterloo's newspaper, published a great review of our show NORMAN. Here are some excerpts of what the journalist Joel Rubinnoff wrote:

"[…] what creators Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon have achieved here is nothing short of a new level of (virtual) reality – using one art form (dance) to enhance and edify another (filmmaking)."

"What it is is eye-poppingly original, a three-dimensional head trip that brings McLaren’s playful imagery to life in a way that makes it not only relevant, but fun, vibrant and accessible."

"With its inspired melding of technology and art, it feels like a new kind of theatre, a promise of visions to come and a bravura way to pluck one of Canada’s most talented filmmaker out of near obscurity and give him the showcase he deserves."

Click here to read the complete review.

Friday, 28 May, 2010

NORMAN at the Magnetic North Theatre Festival

NORMAN, created by Michel Lemieux, Victor Pilon and Peter Trosztmer, will be featured during Magnetic North Theatre Festival in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario from June 10 to June 12, 2010. The show recently returned from an international tour that included three sold-out performances at Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris.

The premiere festival of new Canadian theatre, The Magnetic North Festival moves around the

Wednesday, 15 December, 2010

Théâtre du Nouveau Monde's TV ad for La Belle et la Bête

The Théâtre du Nouveau Monde just released a TV ad for our show La Belle et la Bête. Here it is.