In 2005, Johanna Ehlert and Lo\u00efc Apard were in Israel and Gaza touring with \u201cClowns Without Borders\u201d with the aim of bringing laughter to children living in areas of conflict. Their experiences on that journey contributed to the development of the show they will be performing this week at the Cameri, \u201cCourt-Miracles\u201d: a play without words for 4 actors, 4 puppets and 5 rats.<\/p>\n
Compagnie Le Boustroph\u00e9don is directed by Christian Coumin and includes Ruth Steinthal and Matthieu Siefridt, in addition to Ehlert and Apard. Mixing a variety of techniques in their work: acrobatics, juggling and puppetry; they have created a circus show about war. Taking place in a refugee camp, yet not relating to a specific conflict, time or place: \u201call wars are a little bit similar,\u201d according to the troupe. They would like to find laughter in the direst of circumstances, and in the shared laughter, hope for the future.<\/p>\n
Their creative process is intense, trying out ideas and techniques over a long period of time, in this case, over two years. Although improvisation plays a major role in creating a piece, once onstage the performance is very precisely timed and choreographed. Ehlert explains, \u201cThere are many situations where we don\u2019t see anything and we can\u2019t talk to one another. The timing is tight; we have to be aware of what the others are doing. The rats have the right to improvise \u2013 which we don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
The rats, bought and trained in Israel, are intended to convey the \u201cchaotic feeling [of war when] rules of daily life get lost \u2013 rats taking over.\u201d The puppets enable the actors to establish some distance from the cruelty of war and portray the situation without evoking the kind of horror that performing the same actions with human actors would arouse. After Tel Aviv, the show will tour Ramallah and the West Bank. As Steinthal says, \u201cWe try to share the same things at the same moment with both sides. Not to be too critical. To open a little bit some minds, some ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n