>>Click here for the French Version
Text from Jean-Michel Ribes
Bilingual play (French and Chinese)
Within the frame of The encounters of the French Theatre in Beijing 2008
Organized by the Chaoyang Cultural Center, the Beijing Theatre Association and the
Ning Chun Company
Partnership: Alliance Francaise in China, the French Cultural Center
and the University of Communication of China
Jean-Michel Ribes won the award for the best comedian scenario and special statuette of the French Academy Moliere in 2001 for "Theatre Sans Animals" (English Name: Theater Without Animal). Since then, the play was performed across France and the whole Europe.
The first act, which is "Seagull", reflected the wishes of the middle aged generation which repeats the common philosophy of life in order to materialize them, namely: "Cogito Ergo Sum" or "I think, therefore I am". The second act "Tragedy" took an easy but hard look at human relations while the final act "USA" ridiculed human relations through false and unreal political behaviors.
Despite three different ambiances in "Theater Without Animal", a covert common point prevailed in all the acts; invisible signs of human virtues.
Vested interest in showing sympathy with the barber who has to put up with a talkative customer who cries his wishes (in Seagull act), ridiculous conclusion about the resistance of a man to his wife’s demands (in Tragedy act) and agitating influence of political behaviors in human relations (USA act) convey an easy-to-understand message; one should release oneself in order to lead an easy life.
One should get rid of the chains whose links are nothing but the bad habits, bad characteristics, bad principles. Most societies define "bad" in the same way which is anything inhuman.
Rationality and perception make human beings distinct from animals which is the underlying reason for calling the drama, "Theater Without Animals".
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