Carte noire nommée désir

A leading figure among European theatre’s new voices, Rébecca Chaillon brings a radical theatrical satire with an irresistible punk spirit to Montreal. Together with seven Afro-descendant women from different artistic disciplines—poetry, dance, circus, ceramics—Chaillon crafts a work of turbulent self-assurance that spews out words, turns images inside out, and exalts the body. How can desire be kept alive in a society where male chauvinism and colonialism continue to distort our imagination? A generous act of sharing both the wounds and the sense of rebellion they provoke, Carte noire nommée désir is never gratuitous in its effects, relying on an investment from performers and spectators alike.

In a ceremony of reappropriation that embraces pop culture and spirituality in equal measure, Chaillon—a French performer, author, and director of Martinican descent—blows up fantasies and erotic clichés with fierce joy. Whoever you may be, Carte noire nommée désir has a special place waiting just for you!

Produced by Dans le ventre
Written and directed by Rébecca Chaillon
Performed by Estelle Borel + Rébecca Chaillon + Aurore Déon + Olivia Mabounga + Ophélie Mac + Makeda Monnet + Fatou Siby + Davide-Christelle Sanvee
Originally performed by Bebe Melkor-Kadior
Dramaturgy Céline Champinot
Assistant Directors Jojo Armaing + Olivia Mabounga
Set Design Shehrazad Dermé + Camille Riquier
Sound Design and Sound Managers Issa Gouchène + Elisa Monteil
General and Stage Manager Suzanne Péchenart
Lighting Design and Management Myriam Adjalle
Set Construction Samuel Chenier + Baptiste Odet
Artistic Collaborators Aurore Déon + Suzanne Péchenart
Production and developpement L’œil Écoute – Mara Teboul + Elise Bernard
Touring and communications L’Œil Écoute – Lise Barbut

Co-production and creative residencies La Manufacture – CDN Nancy Lorraine + Carreau du Temple, Établissement culturel et sportif de la Ville de Paris + Le Maillon – Théâtre de Strasbourg scène européenne + La Scène Nationale d’Orléans + Fonds de Dotation Porosus + Fonds Transfabrik – Fonds franco-allemand pour le spectacle vivant + Nordwind Festival + Maison de la Culture d’Amiens – Scène nationale + L’Aire libre – Centre de Production des Paroles contemporaines (Rennes) + La Ferme du Buisson – Scène nationale de Marne-la-Vallée + CDN de Normandie – Rouen + Théâtre Dijon-Bourgogne CDN + La rose des vents, Scène nationale Lille Métropole (Villeneuve d’Ascq)

Co-produced by le phénix scène nationale pôle européen de création Amiens – Valenciennes + Théâtre Sorano (Toulouse)
With the support of Les SUBS (Lyon) + Le Générateur (Gentilly) +La Loge (Paris) + Kampnagel Fabrik (Hambourg) + Dans les parages – LA ZOUZE Cie Christophe Haleb (Marseille) + Fonds d’Insertion pour Jeunes Comédiens de l’ESAD – PSPBB (Paris) + DRAC Hauts-de France + Région Hauts-de-France
With the artistic collaboration of ENSATT

Support for surtitling Cole Foundation

Presented by Cole Foundation with the support of Institut Français + Consulat général de France à Québec in association with Usine C

Premiered at La Manufacture – CDN Nancy Lorraine, on November 9, 2021

Dans le ventre / Rébecca Chaillon is an associate artist at Théâtre de la Manufacture – CDN de Nancy. Rébecca Chaillon is represented by L’ARCHE – agence théâtrale.

Written by Sara Fauteux + Eunice Bélidor + Jessie Mill
Translated by David Dalgleish