THE GREAT YES, THE GREAT NO
WILLIAM KENTRIDGE (1955) — MUSIC THEATRE
WORLD PREMIERE
COMMISSION LUMA FOUNDATION
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FESTIVAL D’AIX-EN-PROVENCE
CO-COMMISSION ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS - MIAMI USA, CAL PERFORMANCES - BERKELEY USA, CENTRE D’ART BATTAT - MONTREAL CANADA
FOUNDATIONAL COMMISSIONING SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND CREATION OF THE GREAT YES, THE GREAT NO IS PROVIDED BY BROWN ARTS INSTITUTE AT BROWN UNIVERSITY, USA
NEW PRODUCTION THE OFFICE PERFORMING ARTS + FILM
A PROJECT OF THE CENTRE FOR THE LESS GOOD IDEA
A CO-PRODUCTION WITH LES THÉÂTRES DE LA VILLE DE LUXEMBOURG, RUHRFESTSPIELE RECKLINGHAUSEN - GERMANY
Share
About
March 1941: a cargo ship leaves Marseille for Martinique with, on board, several artists and intellectuals escaping from Vichy France, including André Breton, Claude Lévi-Strauss and the Cuban artist Wifredo Lam. This real event takes a magical turn when Charon, the ferryman of the dead who has now been promoted captain, rearranges space-time and invites other celebrated figures to join this new kind of ark, an allegory of all the forced expeditions of the past and present, including the representatives of anti-colonialism Aimé Césaire, Franz Fanon and the Nardal sisters. In LUMA Arles, the wonderful visual artist William Kentridge launches the spectator on to one of his artistic, political and spiritual adventures of which he alone holds the secret: a chamber opera inspired by the avant-gardes of the time, mixing the surreal and irrational (masks, collages, projections) and engaging dancers, performers, chorus members and instrumentalists in a vast web of musical styles, especially African and Caribbean.
THE GREAT YES, THE GREAT NO: RELATED EVENTS
— EXHIBITION JE N’ATTENDS PLUS BY WILLIAM KENTRIDGE
FROM 30 JUNE 2024 TO 12 JANUARY 2025 — LUMA ARLES
— TÊTE-À-TÊTE WITH WILLIAM KENTRIDGE
FRIDAY 5 JULY, 6 PM — ÉCOLE SAINTE-CATHERINE
— WILLIAM KENTRIDGE AND HOMI K. BHABHA IN CONVERSATION
WEDNESDAY 10 JULY, 11:30 AM — LUMA ARLES
Artist William Kentridge and Professor Homi Bhabha, one of the most significant thinkers on postcolonialism, will discuss the main themes of Kentridge’s opera, including the links between Surrealism and the negritude literary movement, as well as migration and the anti-colonial struggles of the Second World War era. Free, booking required.
Performances
Youth prices: €23, €10
Performance available with ticket packages.
Spoken and sung in English, French, Isiswati, Isizulu, Isixhosa, Setswana and Xitsonga with French and English surtitles
1 hour and 20 minutes without interval
Toured in partnership with
QUATERNAIRE
Sarah Ford and Felicitas Willems
quaternaire.org
GETTING TO THE FESTIVAL
— by shuttle: shuttle service from Aix-en-Provence to LUMA Arles is offered at the time of your booking.
Round trip tickets: 10€ per person
Departure at 7pm - Bus stop "Hôtel du Roi René" (18 bd du Roi René, 13100 Aix-en-Provence)
Return to Aix-en-Provence planned after the performance
> Book online: Sunday 7 July 2024, Monday 8 July 2024, Tuesday 9 July 2024, Wednesday 10 July 2024
— by carpooling > look for or offer a ride
MEDIA
[ PICTURES ] THE GREAT YES, THE GREAT NO
The Great Yes, The Great No, world premiere
Stage director and concept William Kentridge
From 7 to 10 July 2024, LUMA Arles
Festival d'Aix-en-Provence 2024 © Monika Rittershaus
