The company
“I founded the company because the theater I dreamed about did not exist. For me, Les Papavéracées are the possibility of this dream.
A theater in which necessity, joy, boldness, realism, beauty, poetry and commitment can live together and sublimate one another.
A theater that does not forget about History or the social world or thinking.
A theater that fights against clichés and stereotypes.
A theater that searches.
A theater that changes (us).”
Charlotte le Bras
The approach
Artistic appoach
Charlotte has founded the company so as to make a joyful, necessary and bold theater ! One play at a time, the approach structures itself. Over time and with group spirit. Working on non-theatrical writings (for what they could do to drama), nourished with social sciences (for what they could do to the world), we made our first creation cycle. We questioned how and why some voices and some bodies are still invisible in the public area. In the process, we discovered our very own theatrical language and our very own way of being on stage.
Social approach
We work for a real artistic and cultural democracy ! We try to offer access to art and creation for everybody, everywhere, by proposing workshops, masterclasses, shared creations…So as to build new stories, new actors, new audience. Building another world is possible !
Ecological approach
Facing climate emergency, we feel that “eco-responsibility” is not enough. Deep inside us, changes are on their way and we believe it will have a great influence on our way of making theater. We don’t know how, not yet. But we will talk about “it” for our next creation cycle…
The company path
2015
The company was born on the impulse of Charlotte Le Bras, so as to make her first “shared creation” cycle as a director. This cycle was composed of “F…. Country !” (theatrical adaptation of the book by Younes Amrani and Stéphane Beaud, sociologist) and followed by “Words of Youth”, a participative project in social sciences and theater.
2016
The team members meet during auditions.
2017
The play “F…. Country” is created in France (in the Hauts-de-France area, where the company is located) and during the Avignon OFF Festival (at the “Nouveau Ring”). Jean-Louis Estany meets Charlotte and offers the company to become associated artist at La Maison du Théâtre, in Amiens.
2018
“F…. Country” tours in the Hauts-de-France area and in Paris (La Maison des Métallos). “Words of Youth” takes place with 3 groups of volunteers, in different social centers and theaters. The project gives birth to 3 participative plays.
2019
Arthur becomes a member of Les Papavéracées. He takes over a part in “F… Country” (the play tours in the “Région En Scène Festival” and in the Avignon OFF Festival, at “Présence Pasteur”, with the help of the “Hauts-de-France Région”) and he begins the new creation with the company. They start working on “A Woman” with the book by Annie Ernaux.
2020
It’s the world pandemia. The creation of the play “A Woman” is rescheduled and finally canceled.
2021
We cannot perform in front of an audience, but we can work and create. We start our second “shared creation” with CHILDHOOD(S) followed by “Words of Childhoods”.
2022
We organize an “Intense Time” at La Maison du Théâtre, in Amiens. OUr companionship with them is coming to an end and we want to celebrate what we did together. We perform our 3 plays and it’s incredible.
2023
We keep working on “CHILDHOOD(S)” that becomes “CHILDHOOD(S) [ so, this has to be a manifesto]”. We will create the play during the Avignon OFF festival at LaScierie (theater and Third Place). For this festival issue, we also organize an “Ephemaral Popular University”, a meeting about “Third Places and Third Theater”. We also decide to make it an “Ecological Avignon” and we won’t use any poster or flyer.
The team
We are the company associated artists. Calling ourselves like that tells our will to get out of a single “project logic” and to build things together over time. For a thriving, warm and generous artistic and human adventure !