Wednesday, February 4, 2015, 8pm Thursday, February 5, 2015, 8pm Friday, February 6, 2015, 8pm Saturday, February 7, 2015, 2pm Zellerbach Hall Les Cdoigts de la main Séquence D Creation and Production Les 7 doigts de la main Direction and Choreography Shana Carroll and Sébastien Soldevila Co-Production Les Nuits de Fourvière/Département du Rhône (Lyon), TOHU (Montréal) With the support of the Programme d’Aide à la coproduction du Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. Commissioning Partners: Printemps des Comédiens (Montpellier, France) Arts Emerson (Boston), Live Arts Festival (Philadelphia), La Strada (Graz, Austria), Monaco Dance Forum (Monaco), Teatro Circo Price (Madrid), CE Works (Japan). With the support of Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Conseil des Arts du Canada, and Conseil des arts de Montréal. Cal Performances’ " !#–" !$ season is sponsored by Wells Fargo. CAL PERFORMANCES 15 PROGRAM PROGRAM SÉQUENCE D HE MEETING OF TWO personalities is like the contact of two chemical Tsubstances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”—C. G. Jung Our eighth and newest creation carries emotional dynamics to a point of explosion and propulsion. In this show we find emotions so heightened they spring into action, re- lationships that transform and evolve until they create actual velocity. Set not in a specific time or place but rather on a vertical canvas of sorts, this acrobatic dance and theater piece contemplates the role of the “other,” and how we define ourselves through and against it. Photo credits: Ensemble photo by Lionel Montagnier; company photos by Olivier Tétreault Company photos by Olivier Tétreault; Samuel Tétreault photo by Marion Bellin PLAYBILL CAST CREATION Assistant to the Directors and Stage Manager Sabrina Gilbert Set and Prop Design Anne-Séguin Poirier Costume Design Manon Desmarais Light Design Nol Van Genuchten Acrobatic Design Sébastien Soldevila Acrobatic Equipment Design Alexandre Lemay, Danny Zen Original Music Seth Stachowski Remix Nans Bortuzzo Music Dr. Opin, Liza Ekdahl, Ben Harper, Chinese Man, That Handsome Devil, C2C, Tunng, Tosca, The Mountain Goats, Jónsi & Alex PRODUCTION Production Director Jérémie Niel Technical Direction Guy Lévesque Acrobatic Coaches Jérôme Le Baut, André St-Jean, Émilie Bonnavaud Physiotherapist Hugo Rioux Voice Coach Linda Benoy Trumpet Coach Hubert Côté Translation, Adaptation and Diction Coach Michel Vézina Head Rigger Robert Ouellette Support to Rigging and Construction Stéphane Beauchet Light Operator Élaine Ducasse Texts John C arroll, Shana Carroll, Colin Davis, Sébastien Soldevila, Michel Vézina Graphic Design Studio Pastis Assistant for Setup and Props Camille Boyer ARTISTIC DIRECTION Shana Carroll, Isabelle Chassé, Patrick Léonard, Gypsy Snider, Sébastien Soldevila, Samuel Tétreault C.E.O. Nassib El-Husseini Touring, Development, and Special Events Director Tina Diab TOURING TEAM Tour Director Jérémie Niel Technical Director Antoine Protat Lights Gabrielle Bérubé-Forest Rigging Frédérik Dallaire-Pelletier CAL PERFORMANCES ABOUT THE ARTISTS Shana Carroll is co-found- ing artistic director of Montreal’s Les 7 doigts de la main, where she has co-di- rected and choreographed the company’s major tour- ing shows, whether together with the collective (Loft, La Vie) with partner Gypsy Snider (Traces), with partner and husband Sébastien Soldevila (Séquence J, Le Murmure du Coquelicot), or ES C DOIGTS DE LA MAIN translates liter- alone (Psy, Cabaret 2010, FeriAmuse). In Lally as “the seven fingers of the hand.” It is 2013, Ms. Carroll directed the circus show of a twist on a French idiom (“the five fingers of Queen Of the Night at the Diamond the hand”) used to describe distinct parts Horseshoe in New York. united tightly, moving in coordination to- In addition to her work with Les 7 doigts, wards one common goal. Here it refers to the Ms. Carroll’s circus directing and choreogra- seven founding directors of the company phy credits include the Cirque du Soleil per- (Isabelle Chassé, Shana Carroll, Patrick formance at the 84th Annual Academy Léonard, Faon Shane, Gypsy Snider, Sébastien Awards (2012), the acrobatic design and cho- Soldevila, and Samuel Tétreault) who, by com- reography of Cirque du Soleil’s show Iris at bining their distinct talents and experiences, Los Angeles’s Dolby Theatre, the creation of work towards their common artistic goals four gold-medal winning acts at the Festival with the beautifully awkward dexterity of a de Cirque de Demain, Il Fait Dimanche for seven-fingered hand. l’École Nationale de Cirque de Montre al, and Founded in Montreal in 2002, Les 7 doigts Quebec’s 400th anniversary performance with 40 trapeze artists (2008). She also received a de la main’s initial goal was to bring circus to Drama Desk Award nomination for best cho- a human scale. They began as artists on stage, reography for Traces (2008), and a Bay Area creating collectively, and soon branched out, Theater Critics’ Circle nomination for best expanding their creative talents as directors, choreography for Circumstance (2003). choreo graphers, writers and coaches, passing A former trapeze artist, Ms. Carroll per- on their collaborative and unique 7 doigts formed for 20 years in the air, within 7 doigts process to a new generation of circus artists. shows Loft and La Vie (2002–2008), and with Out of this emerged Loft, Traces, La Vie, Psy, a wide variety of circus and dance companies The Fibonacci Project, Patinoire, A Muse, around the world, most notably seven years as Séquence J, Le Murmure du Coquelicot, and original solo trapeze artist for Cirque du Cuisine & Confessions. A relaxed and funky Soleil’s Saltimbanco (1994–2001). artist’s loft, a bunker, purgatory, or a psychia- Originally from Berkeley, California, trist’s office, an international collaboration of Ms. Carroll first started circus at age 18 with cultures or a solo clown show, each show of- San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus (1988– fers a distinct setting and yet carries the same 1991), and furthered her trapeze training at seven finger-print. Montreal’s École Nationale de Cirque (1991– Celebrating their tenth anniversary this 1993) and France’s École Nationale d e Cirque year, Les 7 doigts de la main are constantly de- de Rosny-sous-Bois (1993–1994). She cur- veloping new shows back home in Montreal, rently lives in Montreal with her husband and applying their unique brand of hands-on cre- daughter, in a renovated convent with other ativity to all their ventures. fellow-Fingers. PLAYBILL ABOUT THE ARTISTS Well advanced in his studies Montreal, in what was decidedly for Mr. Bates in biochemistry, Sébastien one of the best choices of his life. Harmonica, Soldevila would most likely chess, cooking, break-dancing, skateboard- have become a doctor had ing…beyond his specialty of cigar-box jug- he not been so passionate gling—for which he is considered one of the about acrobatics. Growing best in the world—Mr. Bates is an active jack up, the voracious athlete of many trades. delved in trampoline, diving, acrobatic skiing, tumbling with the French Junior National Ugo Dario discovered circus Team, and sports acrobatics, where he and at age eight in a recreational partner Emilie Bonnevaud maintained the circus school in France. title of French National Champions in Mixed Immediately impassioned, Pairs four years in a row. he tried every discipline he After working as a choreographer for the could, finally moving to Dutch National Team, Mr. Soldevila was re- central France to attend the cruited to perform in Cirque du Soleil’s full-time l’École de Cirque Saltimbanco. Upon co-founding Les 7 doigts Châtellerault. In 2008, the young artist trav- de la main in 2002, Mr. Soldevila joined forces eled to Montreal and entered the National with Patrick Léonard to create an award-win- Circus School of Montreal, where he and part- ning duo (Prix Nikouline, Festival Mondial du ner Maxim Laurin specialized in Korean Cirque de Demain de Paris), since performed Board. Mr. Dario graduated in 2011, and on over 15 television programs around the quickly joined Les 7 doigts de la main, partici- w orld. In 2007, he and Emilie Bonnevaud de- pating in the Completement Cirque Festival’s veloped a new hand-to-hand act, choreo- Cabaret before embarking on the new creation. graphed by Mr. Soldevila’s wife and fellow 7 In 2012, he and Mr. Laurin took their doigt, Shana Carroll. The act won the gold teeterboard number to the Festival Mondial medal at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de du Cirque de Demain in Paris, where they Demain de Paris. were awarded multiple prizes, including the Mr. Soldevila co-created Loft, La Vie, Gold Medal. Séquence J, and Le Murmure du Coquelicot, Mr. Dario is also a brown belt in karate, and co-directed and wrote Le Murmure du painter, graffiti artist, photographer, and mu- Coquelicot. He coaches acrobatics with many sician. A multidisciplinary artist, he believes 7 doigt shows and at the National Circus that dance and theater should be integrated School of Montreal. wit h circus, and it is in this way he wishes to A native of Paris, Mr. Soldevila lives with give his performances his personal mark. his family in Montreal. Surrounded by the arts from Eric Bates (United States) a young age (his father was has always been a juggler. the founder of the San Circus has been a major part Francisco Mime Troupe), of his life since his days of Colin Davis (United States) being a rugby captain, com- discovered circus by watch- petitive skier, and football ing the Pickle Family Circus. player. In 2008, his life took At eleven, he decided to give a serious turn when he it a shot and entered the San Francisco School abandoned his studies at McGill University of Circus Arts. He so enjoyed learning and entered the National Circus School in Chinese acrobatics that he then chose to CAL PERFORMANCES ABOUT THE ARTISTS further his training in Montreal.