Company presents two plays

Cécilia Jaillet and Mélodie Fourmeaux, founders of the young company Le Rire d'Ariane, are currently presenting their two first creations, Martine au viol at the Théâtre de la Reine Blanche and 07 83 63 54 73 at Théâtre 13. The latter received the Prix du Jury T13, a recognition from the Théâtre 13 festival.

Theater as political space

The company operates a writing and performance laboratory where theater becomes a political battleground. The two artists, who met at the Vaugelas High School in Chambéry, co-write and direct their plays, sharing a formidable efficiency and sharp reflection.

Background of the founders

Cécilia Jaillet grew up in the Avignon Off scene through her grandmother who lives in the Pontet. She later worked with various companies as a teenager before attending the ENSATT in Lyon. There, she had exceptional teachers like Pauline Peyrade and Marion Aubert, which helped shape her relationship with writing and theater.

First play's development

Martine au viol was the company's first creation, developed with limited resources and without funding from the Direction régionale des affaires culturelles (DRAC). It was programmed in the Off section of Avignon at La Manufacture and at the Aurillac festival, where it was seen by over a thousand people.

Artistic vision

The artists attribute their continued success to the belief of the artistic team and artists around them in the political project. They aim to defend the voice of a woman who may initially appear bourgeois, contradictory, deeply anti-feminist, or even fascist, to question the inner contradictions of human beings.

Second play's themes

Their second piece, 07 83 63 54 73, pushes further the boundaries of documentary theater and immersive performance. The play is inspired by the life of Douce, a 20-year-old sex worker offering her services on an escorting website.

Personal involvement in the play

The title, 07 83 63 54 73, is Cécilia Jaillet's own phone number, which she made public to integrate real-world reactions, calls, and messages into the theatrical framework. The play's text is a raw accumulation of authentic messages received over weeks, exposing the repetition and accumulation of ordinary verbal violence experienced by sex workers.

Awards and challenges

The text was awarded by Artcena and the JLAAT, and the Prix du Jury T13 was expected to help accelerate the play's distribution. However, most theaters supporting the T13 prizes will not program the piece, highlighting the reluctance of theater directors.

Political resistance through art

For Jaillet and Fourmeaux, creating theater under such precarious economic conditions is also a political resistance, proving that writing unbound by conventions can still emerge in contemporary theater.