UVic’s Phoenix Theatre is bringing The Madwoman of Chaillot to its stage from Nov. 9 – 25.
The play was originally written by Jean Giraudoux in 1943 during the Nazi occupation of Paris. It is a poetic and comic fable about the triumph of good over evil. The story follows flamboyant Countess Aurelia as she bands together with a rag-tag group of local artists, vagabonds, and dreamers to save their Paris neighbourhood from corrupt businessmen who plan to drill for oil beneath their Paris homes.
It has developed a whole new relevance in our current era of pipelines and protests, which inspired Director Conrad Alexandrowicz to bring it to the Phoenix stage.
“Drilling for oil under Paris has a whole new meaning for us now. This could not be a more topical play,” says Alexandrowicz. “I tried to make it as theatrical as possible and as funny as possible. But it is about something very serious at heart – what is it acceptable to do to save yourself from a destructive force that is trying to destroy you?”
The play explores the fact that it is not that simple.
“If all the evil people could all come together in one place and we could somehow make them disappear. But of course the evil is in all of us. Human beings are evil and good,” says Alexandrowicz.
Video
Tickets:
Friday & Saturday at 8pm
All seats: $26
Monday – Thursday at 8pm
Saturday Matinee at 2pm
Adult: $26
Senior: $20
Student: $15
UVic Alumni: $15 (Matinees only)
Purchases can be made by phone at 250-721-8000 with a credit card, or in person at the Phoenix Box Office, located inside the Phoenix Building on UVic campus.
Recommended for ages 13+
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