ARCHIVES 2000 / Monnaie de Singes (Monkey Money)

Three theatrical myths closely related, but until now unknown to each other. Harlequin is the first, the Italian Commedia Del Arte's valet character, who has become terribly French and is strongly motivated by devilish ideas. The second is Taro-Kaja, he's from Japanese traditional theatre, and is the cheeky manservant of Kyogen - the farce that is performed in between two No plays. The third is the Monkey King of Chinese opera - king, animal and a character that uses all his cheekiness to ridicule the most powerful Emperor of the Heavens. So, one character from the West and two from the East. What do they have to say to each other ? First of all, they talk about their own different natures, talent, they explain their body gestures, their words and their humour. Then, face-to-face on stage, they discover their similarities and differences. They begin, between two and then among three, a dramatic dialogue. Their burlesque difficulties and their comical conflicts lead them to a search for individual and collective perfection. They find harmony at the end of the play, they become three-in-one. Harlequin and his brothers from Asia reach the fraternity of insolence and share their theatrical traditions.