Photo credit : Andree-Anne Laroche
DFrom August 24 to September 19, 2022, Productions Quitte ou Double and the Petit Théâtre du Vieux Noranda present the creation “Bluff”. Written by Jean-François Boisvenue and Sophie Gemme, this hybrid theater piece deploys an original concept combining acting on stage and telepresence: through the camera, three performers located in three different cities seek to demonstrate their honesty and integrity. We spoke with director Mireille Camier to better understand her artistic vision and the issues highlighted in this show.
Connect 3 actors, 3 cities, 3 audiences
The principle of Bluff is simple: throughout the 10 days when the show will be presented, the three actors and actresses – Sarianne Cormier, Étienne Jacques and Véronique Pascal – will connect at the same time in a different room in Quebec, in front of the spectators.
Beyond the urge to “create a unifying event between three cities, where three audiences will be connected”Mireille Camier explains that “Bluff allows us to touch on the themes of authenticity, long-distance relationships, our identity on the web and what we project as a virtual image, in addition to understanding how these aspects have emerged with technology.”
Thus, inspired by a project of the Society for Arts and Technology (SAT), she wanted to do something custom using their system, “the idea being to connect on a larger scale, between several audiences at the territorial level, while keeping in mind to come together.”
In order to strengthen the connection between the different audiences and the three actors, “There are a lot of trialogues that are interrelated, interconnected with short sentences where the three characters are really together, whether visually or through words”she explains.
“Each scene is a tableau where each location offers a complete point of view of what is happening in the show.”
Photo: Vadim Daniel
Technology, a springboard for building our social image
Besides highlighting the influence that technology can have on us, Bluff goes even further and uses this premise as a springboard to evoke the image we seek to convey to the people around us. “Basically, in the story, each character has a way of being socially and questions their authenticity when in public, as well as how they represent themselves to the world.”
According to Mireille Camier, for example, the character of Étienne reflects on how he presents himself to his lover, while Sarianne questions his relationships with his friends, since his very strong personality in the presence of other people contrasts with the sense of honesty she feels when alone.
In fact, this subject is all the more relevant when we think of the virtual identity that it is so easy to adapt according to our desires and our standards, and this, in an era where exchanges pass as much through the digital.
Indeed, aspects such as authenticity in our long-distance relationships, the way we “make” our videos and how we present ourselves in video are far from negligible. “Everything we experienced during the pandemic was very strong for our identity”says the director. “Everyone has wondered about their relationship to the virtual and how we live our relationships at a distance, when it’s not physical.”
Photo: Andrée-Anne Laroche
Live a hybrid collective experience
One thing is certain, it was precisely inconceivable for the creative team to give in to the call for an all-digital broadcast when the pandemic came to thwart its plans in early 2021. “We wanted three audiences to come together in the room to live a collective experience. We thought about all kinds of ways to deploy Bluff virtually, but we were losing the authenticity and the essence of the project.
Moreover, indoors, the fact of mixing live play and virtual play has sometimes made it possible to make surprising and interesting observations: during residencies, the hooked atoms that the spectator had with a character (in his way of thinking or through the subjects he tackled) weighed more heavily in the balance than the closeness he could feel with the actor who was in the same room as him. “At the end of the day, it’s perhaps a character from a distance who will still reach the viewer more, because he looks like him and talks about the themes closest to him”reveals the director.
Despite real societal questions and a virtual device creating a certain distance with some of the actors, Mireille Camier have no doubt that the spectators who will attend Bluff will have a great time.
“It’s a show that is still quite bright!”she exclaims. “There is a lot of humour, the public is encouraged to participate and sometimes helps us to do certain things. It’s very festive through such a deep confidence!
The room Bluff will be presented from August 24 to September 19, 2022. For details of the dates and locations of performances near you, consult our calendar sheet. And to buy your tickets, go ici!
*This article was produced in collaboration with the Quit or Double Productions.
Word coordinator and stylist
Between fashion and music, his heart swings! Always creative, Mathilde likes to play with words. In fact, she handles them with finesse to challenge the reader and share her two great passions: culture and style.