Classique(s)

Theatrical brainstorm

Apr 25, 2025

Babs Asper Theatre 1 Elgin Street Ottawa Canada

In-person event
Français
Ages 14+
≈ 2 hours

Performance options	Start time	Language	Availability
Friday, April 25, 2025	10:30 am	French	Reserve

“Understanding our collective past ”

This performance is presented by NAC French Theatre

What is a classic? Why do some plays grace stages to this day, while others sleep beneath the thick blanket of Time? This piece is a joyous exchange of ideas, both eloquent and irreverent—brazen, some would say—about the works that make up what we now call the “canon.” Observe the unchanging Yesterday to understand the troubling Now.

For a few brief moments, Mani Soleymanlou drops autobiographical fiction and questions of identity to study his preferred form of expression, theatre. He has asked the formidable thinker and playwright Fanny Britt, as well as a brilliant team of performers, musicians and designers, to shamelessly toy with this ostentatious subject matter. What is a classic? Is there a set formula for creating one? Is Tit-Coq a classic? What if the Honourable Steven Guilbeault was the Canadian Hamlet?

The approach may be light-hearted, but the stakes are high. This play shows a real desire to give people today the luxury of stepping back and taking an earnest look at themselves. On stage, Phèdre, Andromaque and other ghosts of theatres past are invited to comment on the chaotic social, political, economic and artistic game that is being played right now in our world in disarray.

This student matinee is only offered on condition of a minimal number of bookings.

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$ 15 / student (HST included)

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Financial assistance

Arts Alive has limited financial aid available for schools in need.

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Adults & chaperones

1 Free adult per 15 students

Free admittance for personal support workers

$ 15 (HST included) for additional chaperons At the discretion of the National Arts Centre

Payment deadlines

3 weeks before the performance

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Seating

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The letter of admission will be issued upon receipt of full payment.

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Artists

Playwright and Director Mani Soleymanlou
Playwright and Director Mani Soleymanlou

A 2008 graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Mani Soleymanlou has lived in Tehran, Paris, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, and has worked with such acclaimed directors as Alice Ronfard (Les pieds des anges), Brigitte Haentjens (L’opéra de quat’sous), Claude Poissant (Rouge gueule, The Dragonfly of Chicoutimi), Serge Denoncourt (Projet Andromaque, Les trois mousquetaires), Olivier Kemeid (Furieux et désespérés), Denis Bernard (Ce moment-là) and Eric Jean (Variations sur un temps).

He is best known as the founding artistic director (2011) of the Montreal-based theatre company Orange Noyée. His distinctive artistic practice investigates notions of community identity (Un/One, Deux/Two, Trois/Three) and social relationships (Ils étaient quatre, Cinq à sept, 8). He pursued this approach more recently in Neuf [working title] and Zéro presented in fall 2019 in Montreal and Ottawa, and also in various artistic collaborations over the years: Lapin blanc, Lapin rouge, Les Lettres arabes II, and À te regarder, ils s’habitueront. Mani Soleymanlou was part of the impressive team behind Gabriel Dumont’s Wild West Show (premiered at the NAC in October 2017), as director and co-artistic director.

Mani Soleymanlou assumed the position of Artistic Director of NAC French Theatre on September 1, 2021.

Mani Soleymanlou est sorti de l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada en 2008. Celui qui a vécu à Téhéran, Paris, Toronto, Ottawa et Montréal joue alors au théâtre sous la direction de metteurs en scène comme Alice Ronfard (Les pieds des anges), Brigitte Haentjens (L’opéra de quat’sous), Claude Poissant (Rouge gueule, The Dragonfly of Chicoutimi), Serge Denoncourt (Projet Andromaque, Les trois mousquetaires), Olivier Kemeid (Furieux et désespérés), Denis Bernard (Ce moment-là) et Eric Jean (Variations sur un temps).

Mais c’est surtout à la tête d’Orange Noyée, compagnie qu’il fonde en 2011, qu’il expose sa démarche singulière, interrogeant l’identité communautaire (Un, Deux, Trois) aussi bien que les interactions sociales (Ils étaient quatre, Cinq à sept, 8). Une démarche qu’il a poursuivi plus récemment dans Neuf [titre provisoire] puis Zéro présenté l’automne dernier à Montréal et Ottawa, mais également à travers différentes collaborations artistiques au fil du temps : Lapin blanc, Lapin rouge, Les Lettres arabes II et À te regarder, ils s’habitueront. Mani Soleymanlou a fait partie de l’imposante équipe du Wild West Show de Gabriel Dumont, créé au CNA en octobre 2017, à titre de metteur en scène et codirecteur artistique.

Mani Soleymanlou assume la direction artistique du Théâtre français du CNA depuis le 1er septembre 2021.
NAC media featuring Mani Soleymanlou
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Playwright Fanny Britt

Playwright Fanny Britt

Fanny Britt is a writer and translator. She is the author of more than a dozen of plays, notably Hurlevents, Lysis (with Alexia Bürger), Couche avec moi, Chaque jour and Bienveillance (Prize winner of the Governor’s General Award in 2013). Her plays have been performed on numerous stages in Quebec and elsewhere, namely at La Licorne, l’ESPACE GO, l’Espace libre and the Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui. Readings of Bienveillance have also been performed in Germany and in the United-States. Her most recent play, Toutes choses, was presented in april 2022 on the Quat’Sous stage, under the direction of her great accomplice, Alexia Bürger.

She also works in literature. Her first novel, Les maisons, released in autumn 2015, was finalist for the France-Québec prize as well as the Collégiens prize. Her most recent novel, Faire les sucres (2020), won the Governor’s General Award in 2021. She also published two essays at Atelier 10, Les tranchées – Maternité, ambiguïté, féminisme (2013) and Les retranchées – Échecs et ravissement de la famille, en milieu de course (2019), in addition to having translated and adapted more than thirty plays and novels, including works by Martin McDonagh, Annabel Soutar, Sarah Ruhl, Neil Labute, Grace O'Connell and Lisa Moore. She also translated several plays by the British author Dennis Kelly, following a first meeting with him during a translation residency at CEAD (Après la fin, Orphelins, Amour/Argent, ADN, Les filles et les garçons).

Fanny Britt est écrivaine et traductrice. Elle est l’auteure d’une douzaine de pièces de théâtre, dont Hurlevents, Lysis (avec Alexia Bürger), Couche avec moi, Chaque jour et Bienveillance (prix du Gouverneur général en 2013) Ses pièces ont été créées sur plusieurs scènes du Québec et d’ailleurs, dont La Licorne, l’ESPACE GO, l’Espace libre et le Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui. Des mises en lecture de Bienveillance ont également été présentées en Allemagne et aux États-Unis. Sa plus récente pièce, Toutes choses, a été créée en avril 2022 sur la scène du Quat’Sous, dans une mise en scène de sa grande complice, Alexia Bürger. 

Elle œuvre aussi en littérature. Son premier roman, Les maisons, paru à l’automne 2015, a été finaliste au prix France-Québec et au prix des Collégiens. Son plus récent roman, Faire les sucres (2020), a remporté le prix du Gouverneur général en 2021. Elle a également fait paraître chez Atelier 10 deux essais, Les tranchées – Maternité, ambiguïté, féminisme (2013) et Les retranchées – Échecs et ravissement de la famille, en milieu de course (2019), en plus d’avoir traduit et adapté une trentaine de pièces de théâtre et de romans, dont des œuvres de Martin McDonagh, Annabel Soutar, Sarah Ruhl, Neil Labute, Grace O’Connell et Lisa Moore. Elle a également traduit plusieurs pièces de l’auteur britannique Dennis Kelly, suite à une première rencontre avec lui lors d’une résidence de traduction au CEAD (Après la fin, Orphelins, Amour/Argent, ADN, Les filles et les garçons). 

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Playwrights Fanny Britt et Mani Soleymanlou
Director Mani Soleymanlou
With Louise Cardinal, Martin Drainville, Kathleen Fortin, Julie Le Breton, Jean-Moïse Martin, Benoit McGinnis, Madeleine Sarr, Mani Soleymanlou, and musicians
Assistance à la mise en scène Jean Gaudreau
Scenic Designer Martin Labrecque and Mani Soleymanlou
Lighting Martin Labrecque
Music Philippe Brault
Costumes Cynthia St-Gelais
Makeup Amélie Bruneau-Longpré
Technical Director Jenny Huot
Production and Tour Manager Charlotte Ménard
Line Producer Xavier Inchauspé
Executive Producers Vanessa Beaupré et Marie-Laurence Rock
Production Orange Noyée
Co-production Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and NAC French Theatre
Co-presentation Le Diamant

Financial assistance

Arts Alive has limited financial assistance available to support schools who would not otherwise be able to participate in our school programming due to economic barriers. Schools in need may request financial assistance directly through the registration form, to help cover the cost of tickets to student matinees or applicable workshops offered by the NAC. Learn more

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