Brooklyn Academy of Music Alan H. Fishman, Chairman of the Board William I. Campbell, Savannah Vice Chairman of the Board Adam E. Max, Vice Chairman of the Board Katy Clark, Bay President Joseph V. Melillo, Executive Producer By Marguerite Duras Théâtre de l’Atelier, Paris Directed by Didier Bezace DATES: NOV 11—14 at 7:30pm LOCATION: BAM Fisher (Fishman Space) RUN TIME: Approx 1hr 10min (no intermission) Season Sponsor: TALK: On Truth (and Lies) in Suicide With Kay Redfield Jamison and Andrew Solomon Major support for Savannah Bay Hosted by Simon Critchley provided by Co-presented by BAM and the The Florence Gould Foundation Onassis Cultural Center NY with additional support provided by Part of the Hellenic Humanities Laura Pels Program Sat, Nov 14 at 5pm Major support for theater at BAM BAM Fishman Space provided by The Francena T. Harrison Foundation Trust Donald R. Mullen Jr. The Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund #SAVANNAHBAY The SHS Foundation #BAMNextWave The Shubert Foundation, Inc. BAM Fisher Savannah Bay ABOUT Savannah Bay NY Premiere DIRECTOR’S NOTE Two women in a pristine white room: The overarching subject of Savannah In French with English titles one young, one old. “Who was she?” Bay is the union of two women and one asks the other, referring to a third the role play in which they engage— DIRECTOR who had long ago met a boy, fallen in perhaps daily—to recognize one Didier Bezace love, and bore his child before drown- another. Stemming from a hidden and ing herself. buried traumatic event, which they ARTISTIC MANAGEMENT bring to the surface from a shred of Dyssia Loubatière Unfolding in the melancholic half- memory, they attempt to win each light of memory, Savannah Bay is a other over, to recognize and to love PERFORMERS mesmerizing two-character drama one another. The ritual they invent Geneviève Mnich by the revered French feminist writer and constantly reinvent allows them to Marie Vialle Marguerite Duras (1914–1997)— affirm the identity and strength of their author of The Lover and screenwriter relationship and mutual love, which for ASSISTANT DIRECTOR of Hiroshima Mon Amour—whose the duration of their fleeting interaction, Sandra Choquet stage works are rarely produced in the demands that they restart every day. US. In this New York premiere, Paris’ In a mental space in the absence of SET DESIGN Théâtre de l’Atelier brings the play’s memory, time stops and she is left Jean Haas lyrical dialogue to life, creating an with infinite solitude. Little by little, impressionistic tapestry of loneliness through the rhythm of writing, the void TITLES and connection in which two people fills as love and recognition are built Fanette Barraya form a special bond in the space left by between one unknown woman and her forgetting. grandmother on the edge of an abyss. STAGE MANAGER Guillaume Lepert Laura Pels, former director of Théâtre —Didier Bezace de l’Atelier, wishes to thank the new COSTUME DESIGN artistic team for their cooperation Cidalia da Costa in presenting the play at BAM. MAKEUP French Tour Operator Cécile Kretschmar Scène Indépendante Contemporaine Frédéric Franck, Director LIGHTING DESIGN Dominique Fortin The actors are appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Associa- LIGHTING ENGINEER tion. The American stage manager is a Léo Thévenon member of Actors’ Equity Association. SOUND ENGINEER AMERICAN STAGE MANAGER Pierre Bodeux R. Michael Blanco Who’s Who His work has been recognized between them, yet always holds a with a number of awards: in 1995 preference for the theater. he was awarded a Molière for his In cinema she has worked with direction of La Femme Changée Bertrand Tavernier (Un Dimanche en Renard by David Garrett. In à la Campagne), Alain Resnais, 1997 he received the Grand Prix Bertrand Blier, Raoul Ruiz, de la critique for directing La Claude Lelouch, Robert Enrico, Noce Chez les Petits Bourgeois Michel Spinosa, Martin Provost and Grand-peur et Misère du (Séraphine), and Stéphane Brizé. IIIe Reich by Bertolt Brecht. In In theater she has worked with Photo: Didier Bezache 2004 he received the Prix de la Photo: Geneviève Mnich Jean-Pierre Vincent and has since by Brigitte Enguérand critique for scenography for Avis by Carole Bellaiche played roles written exclusively aux Intéressés by Daniel Keene. by contemporary authors: Jon Didier Bezace In 2005 l’Académie des Molières Geneviève Mnich Fosse with Jacques Lassalle and Director awarded him two prizes: one Actress Frédéric Belier Garcia, Jean- for best direction and one for Claude Grumberg and Daniel Didier Bezace co-founded best adaptation of La Version de With a degree in literature Keene; Brassaï with Maurice the Théâtre de l’Aquarium Browning by Terence Rattigan. and two years of study under Benichou; Fabrice Melquiot with (Cartoucherie de Vincennes) in In 2011 the SACD (Society of Henri Rollan at l’École de la Emmanuel Demarcy Mota; and 1970, where he attended every Dramatic Authors and Composers) rue Blanche, Geneviève Mnich other contemporary authors with performance and managed the awarded him the distinguished has acted in a number of plays Gilberte Tsaï and Zabou Breitman. company until July 1997, at Prix du Théâtre for his lifetime from the repertoire of Molière, which point he took the reins of achievements. Marivaux, and Gorki. She worked She worked with Peter Brook in the Théâtre de la Commune à with Jean Dasté and Hubert La Berceuse by Beckett (French Aubervilliers, where he directed Didier Bezace has also acted in Gignoux at the time of “theatrical version) at Les Bouffes du pieces by both contemporary and films by Claude Miller, Bertrand decentralization” in France, an Nord Theater. From there, she classic authors. Tavernier, Jeanne Labrune, Claude innovative program which was met Didier Bezace and acted Zidi, and Rémi Bezançon, and has initiated by André Malraux to in Kureishi’s script adaptation worked alongside Marion Cotillard. produce theater for a broader of May and Daniel Keene’s Un audience throughout France. Soir Une Ville, in which she She has appeared in cinema and played a woman confronted with television alike and alternates Alzheimer’s disease. Photo: Marie Vialle by Richard Schroeder FANETTE BARRAYA SANDRA CHOQUET Titles Assistant Director After living in the US for five Sandra Choquet attended the years while studying sculpture, Théâtre National de Strasbourg Fanette Barraya returned to Paris (TNS) and has since worked with at age 23 and began working in directors Stéphane Braunschweig, the theater by assisting artistic Antoine Caubet, Michel Cerda, director Bob Meyer on several Yann-Joël Collin, Ludovic Lagarde, productions with his theater Eric Louis, Etienne Pommeret, group, the Gare St. Lazare François Wastiaux, and Nadia Players. In 2005 she worked Xerri. In film and television, with Bob Meyer again on his first she has worked with Nathalie Other credits include Une Petite feature film Drunkboat with John Boutefeu, Bruno Chiche, and Marie Vialle Douleur by Harold Pinter at Malkovich and John Goodman. Frédéric Tellier. Choquet is also Actress Théâtre Vidy (Lausanne), Théâtre Barraya has worked with directors a singer and has sung for Arte de la Ville (Paris), and Théâtre Bernard Murat, Christophe Lidon, since 2000. She has also worked Marie Vialle is delighted to be des Célestins (Lyon), directed and Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. as assistant to Nathalie Baye on making her US debut at BAM. by Marie-Louise Bischofberger She was trained as an actor at Hiver by Jon Fosse and assistant Favorite theater credits include (2012—13); and Oncle Vania by Angel Magnétic Theatre under the to Dominique Blanc on La Douleur Ivanov by Anton Chekhov at the Chekhov at Théâtre des Amandiers direction of Antoine Campo. by Marguerite Duras, directed Théâtre de l’Odéon, directed by (Nanterre), directed by Alain by Patrice Chéreau and Thierry Luc Bondy (2014—15) and La Françon (2011), which toured Thieû Niang, both at le Théâtre de Double Mort de l’Horloger by in theaters around France. She PIERRE BODEUX l’Atelier. Odön von Horvath at the Théâtre directed and acted in Triomphe du Sound Engineer National de Chaillot, directed by Temps by Pascal Quignard (2006) CIDALIA DA COSTA André Engel (2013). She is also a which also toured in France. Since 2012 Pierre Bodeux has Costume Design director, having directed Les lois Cinema credits include Baby been a sound operator at the de l’hospitalité by Olivia Rosenthal Blues, (directed by Diane Bertrand Musical Theatre of Paris Châtelet, After studying fine arts Cidalia (2008, 2011). 2007), Les Inséparables, (directed working on musical comedies (My da Costa started working in by Christine Dory 2007), and Fair Lady, Into the Woods, Singin’ film but was quickly pulled into Avant l’Oubli (directed by Augustin in the Rain). He has also worked theater. While working in theater, Burger, 2003). She studied at the as sound manager for opera (Il she has created costumes for Conservatoire National Supérieur Re Pastore, La Belle Hélène), Pierre Ascaride, Didier Bezace, d’Art Dramatique (1997) and and concerts (Joe Lovano, Stacey Vincent Colin, Gabriel Garran, École de la Rue Blanche—ENSATT Kent, Jean Louis Aubert, Camille, Daniel Mesguich, Jacques Nichet, (1994). Henri Texier, Les Parapluies de Philippe Adrien, Yves Beaunesne, Cherbourg, Le Petit Prince). Since Hubert Colas, Charles Tordjman, 2014 Bodeux has worked as Chantal Morel, Michel Didym, sound manager for the Compagnie David Géry, and Gilberte Tsaï. She Théâtre des Nuages de Neige has also worked in contemporary and has been on various tours dance, having collaborated with throughout France. Jean Gaudin, Catherine Diverrès, and Bernardo Montet. In opera, she has worked with Hubert Colas, Emmanuelle Bastet, and Belgium). He has collaborated Philippe Adrien, Claude Yersin, Kureishi and Conversations avec Christophe Gayral. She has also with many theater directors Luc Bondy, Omar Porras, Charles ma Mère after the screenplay collaborated on productions including Bruno Bayen, Louis- Tordjman, Alain Milianti, Alain of the same name by Santiago by James Thierrée and Jérôme Charles Sirsacq, Hans Peter Cloos, Ollivier, and Marc Paquien.