Contxto International network for the distribution of French-language dramatic texts Edition 2019-2020 Presentation file Fists (Poings, Editions Les Solitaires Intempestifs) by Pauline Peyrade translated in English by Keziah Serreau translated in Spanish by Coto Adanez Contxto is coordinated by ARTCENA, with the This play benefits from the support of the French French Ministry of Culture, the French Ministry of Institute in London via its Cross Channel Theatre Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Institut Français and program. the SACD (French Society of Dramatic Writers and Composers) Table of contents I. The play................................................................................................................................2 1. Overwiew..........................................................................................................................2 2. The inspiration for the play................................................................................................2 3. Extract from the text........................................................................................................3 4. Selected press reviews......................................................................................................4 5. The play in rance.............................................................................................................! II. The playwright.......................................................................................................................# III. The play elsewhere................................................................................................................$ 1. En"lish translator%s foreword& 'e(iah Serreau.....................................................................$ 2. Spanish translator& Coto Adane(........................................................................................, 3. Fists around the world....................................................................................................9 IV. The Contxto networ............................................................................................................1/ This file is part of a full Contxto resource kit0 complete with a video interview with the a)thor filmed 1y +2TCE3+ and available on o)r we1site. Contxto – Presentation file – Fists by Pauline Peyrade © ARTCENA 1 I. The play 1. OVE28IE8 Poings is abo)t the right to re"ain control over oneself. ive .ey moments in a toxic relationship 98EST0 3ORT:0 SO;T:0 POI3TS0 EAST<0 from the first meetin" to the 1rea.=)p0 as relived 1y a woman still reelin" from shoc.0 on a >)est to find meanin" in her experience. Pl)n"ed into traumatic memory, the play explores the themes of r)mination and disorientation 1oth in form and content. In order to 1rin" the character?s dazed and conf)sed mindset to life0 the parts each ta.e on a radically different feel and str)ct)re0 arran"ed in non=chronolo"ical order. The play see.s to draw on form in answerin" the >)estion& why do women livin" with daily violence choose not to leave@ Because leavin" is a 1attle0 and it is exceedin"ly diffic)lt to fight when yo)r 1ond with yo)rself has 1een 1ro.en. BO; and CE em1ody the disassociated fig)re of the female protagonist0 D)xtaposed against :IC0 the man0 the monster0 the o1session0 sometimes real and sometimes fantasised0 sometimes near and sometimes far0 sometimes dan"ero)s and sometimes less so. Poings is an internal fresco in motion0 reco)ntin" a story that is told and retold in order to find a way o)t. Synopsis provided by the playwright. 2. T:E I3S5I2+TION FOR T:E PE+B Pa)line 5eyrade met F)stine Aerthillot0 a circ)s performer and "rad)ate of the *3+*0 d)rin" the S)Det à Vif event at the estival d%Avignon 2/1510 for which they staged Est0 a short piece that r)ns for twenty-odd min)tes0 explorin" the story of a woman who fails to "o thro)"h with her plans to leave her violent partner. Retranscription of Pauline Peyrade's interview with ARTC!" on the sub#ect of Poings, short% listed for the Grand Prix de 'itt(rature Dra*atique 2-./0 H5oin"s started with a S)Det à Vif play called Est0 which I co=prod)ced with F)stine Berthillot at the estival d%Avignon in 2/15. In twenty min)tes or so0 Est reco)nted the aborted escape plans of a woman who is a victim of domestic ab)se. This first piece "ave way to Poin"s0 which )ses the cardinal points to tell the story: how it all 1e"an0 where it all went wron"0 how it ended0 and how the woman manages to 1reak free. As the play )nf)rls0 it loo.s 1ac. on the relationship?s milestones0 in an attempt to fig)re o)t what happened. The )nderlyin" themes are disorientation0 a loss of anchorin"0 the fight against oneself0 and the fight for one?s s)rvival. Poin"s is special to me0 for a n)m1er of reasons. A)t if I had to choose D)st one of them0 I?d say 1eca)se compared to my earlier writin"0 the str)ct)ral elements in this play are taken to the extreme. The form 1ecomes )nsettlin"0 it is intended to conf)se the a)dience. The play's five parts are all completely str)ct)rally different0 leadin" the a)dience and reader into the same state of mind as the protagonist0 searchin" for signs and landmar.s. It was important to me that I draw on this0 1ecause it leads 1ac. to the >)estion of why anyone wo)ld p)t themselves in a violent sit)ation0 or s)ffer domestic ab)se0 in this case. 8hy do we str)""le to leave@ 8hy do we stay with o)r tormentor@ The play was p)1lished 1y Ees Solitaires Intempestifs. It was reformatted for p)1lication0 yo) have to flip to the 1ac. to see how the original text was laid o)t. F)stine Berthillot and I staged it in 2/1$0 with the ICiE company that we fo)nded to"ether.H 1S)Dets G -if pieces are short plays co=prod)ced 1y the estival d%+vignon and the S+*70 and showcased d)rin" the estival. These plays and performances are the res)lt of colla1orations 1etween ")est artists in a ran"e of different fields. Contxto – Presentation file – Fists by Pauline Peyrade © ARTCENA 2 3. EXTRACT FROM THE TEXT K CE. I see the ho)se. The door is closed with no1ody inside. There%s no roof0 the walls rattle0 and the floor0 it%s as if the floor is made of diamonds. It spar.les. It%s night. The s.y is everywhere. Bo) can see as if in daylight. It%s 1ea)tif)l. In the middle of the main room0 there is a h)"e table0 lit 1y a hu"e fire 1reathin" flames that make colo)rf)l pict)res. Eove scenes rise from the flames0 and seem to vanish into smo.e. It smells "ood. I eat some fire. It tastes like s)"ar. It%s very stron". It%s very tasty. It po)rs down my throat. Soothes it. I don%t .now anymore0 1)t I .now that I .now. I see the forest. It is calm. The earth is made of "old0 and the s.y, it loo.s like the s.y is made of diamonds. In the middle of the forest0 a h)"e lake with h)"e trees that delve into the stars. It%s night. The moon is everywhere. Lreen leaves from the hu"e trees caress my face. It is 1ea)tif)l. It smells "ood. Cy eyes widen. A leaf 1reaks off from one of the hu"e trees and falls into the lake. It sin.s. 8ater r)ns deep. I see myself. I can%t reco"nise myself0 1)t I .now that I .now myself. rost swirls aro)nd my wrists like 1racelets. I stair at the s.y on the s)rface. I still seem to 1e 1reathin". I co)"h a 1it. And then it "oes away. I see the ho)se. In the main room0 a man is layin" the table for a h)"e feast. :e is handsome. :e is well dressed. :)ndreds of candles light the table. It is 1ea)tif)l. The man comes )p to me. :e as.s me to "et dressed. I don%t )nderstand what it means. :e p)ts a wet towel over my sho)lders. It%scold. I start shiverin". The towel falls to the floor. I pic. it )p. It%s heavy. I%m sha.in". The towel falls for a second time. :)"e flames from the h)"e fire ascend into the deep night. I see the forest0 and0 in the forest0 there is the man0 and at the man%s feet0 there is the lake. The s.y is in the la.e. I am naked. A h)"e fish dances aro)nd me. It is 1ea)tif)l. It shines. Eove scenes are tattooed on its scales. I feel it "lide on my t)mmy. It tic.les. I smile. A)11les stream thro)"h my teeth. The man loo.s at me. :e is handsome. I feel his eyes. :e%s not loo.in" at my 1ody. :e smiles. 8ater seeps into all my pores. It caresses my m)scles from the inside. It tic.les. I co)"h. I co)"h again. I see the ho)se. The walls are 1lac. and the windows0 it loo.s like the windows are 1)rnin". 3ight is everywhere. I%m "ettin" colder. In the main room0 the party is in f)ll swin". People lau"h, drin.0 dance. It is 1eautif)l. The man is tal.in" to a 1ea)tif)l woman. I don%t reco"nise myself 1)t I .now it%s me. They smile. They drin. wine. I .noc. on the window. They don%t hear me. 8ine po)rs down the 1eautif)l woman%s dress. I call. They carry on tal.in". I lic. the window. Some "lass d)st stic.s to my mo)th. I scratch the "lass with my nails. Small shards fall into my hands. I lic. them. The shards sin. into my ton")e. They c)t me. The man and the 1eautif)l women 1)rst into lau"hter.