ARTicles vol. 3 i.2a: reaching the far side

A native of Quebec, Robert Lepage grew up in a taut political climate. As French Canadians questioned their future in Canada, separatist eruptions were felt in Lepage’s own home, a bilingual household with two adopted Anglophone siblings. Lepage used theatre as a tool to explore these personal experiences, reverberating with Canada’s political experience. He addressed issues of identity in his second theatrical creation, The Dragon’s Trilogy (1985). Performed in French, English, Chinese and Japanese, the production embraced Canada’s ethnic diversity in a story of two young Quebecois women whose fates intertwine with a Chinese family. Designed to show what it is that unites humanity rather than divides it, The Dragon’s Trilogyexplored themes of exile, war, and art. The production won numerous awards and brought Lepage international acclaim. Lepage’s theatre mirrors Quebec’s attitude towards its cultural identity and place in the world. In 1999, Quebec’s government declared that the province faced a major turning point in its history, due to its French heritage, Canadian duality, proximity to the United States and growing immigrant community. Rather than taking an insular and defensive view to preserve their French roots, Quebec’s policy has been to create a new identity. Whilst taking pride in their French heritage, they chose to welcome the cosmopolitan influences introduced through immigration and cultural exchange. Although a “tug of war” between French and English has buffeted Quebec, Lepage says that in the arts, a translation exists between the two cultures, rather than a blending. He explains how a cultural shift is taking place that puts French and English culture into a new perspective. “Now, we have phenomenon like Celine Dion, who is very specifically identified as a French Canadian even if she sings in English, even if she sings at the Oscars. … Suddenly people said, ‘Our culture can have access to the English speaking market without losing its identity!’ French Canada is relaxing more because we have people like Celine Dion, Denise Arcand, and myself working in English and being proud francophones.” Lepage builds cultural bridges, not only through storytelling and language, but also through the act of making theatre itself. He is a renowned collaborator. In Tectonic Plates(1990), a French Canadian production, Lepage used an English Canadian set-designer, which at the time, was considered a significant step in bridging the gap between French and English theatre in Canada. Lepage’s activities are not limited to his own country. He has collaborated with artists from across the globe, and his productions have toured the world. If theatre plays a vital role in exploring Canada’s tensions, it plays a similar role in addressing the cultural frictions of our “Global Village.” However, whilst he ardently supports intercultural collaboration, he is the first to warn of its dangers. He believes in the necessity of retaining one’s individuality, be it theatre people or nations, in the midst of collectivity. “It may seem a contradiction: the belief that a stronger nationalism, or at least patriotism, is necessary, and on the other hand, so is a greater openness to the world. But the two work together. … It’s a question of finding the right balance, of not being a bigot, of being an open-minded citizen of the world, but at the same time being conscious that where you are has a certain specificity to it.” In 1993 Lepage founded his own multidisciplinary production company, Ex Machina. The company’s guiding principles display a visionary interest in cross-cultural collaboration and interdisciplinary work. When Lepage asked his associates to help him find a name for his new company, his only condition was that the word “theatre” should not be included. The term “theatre” is too narrow to contain Lepage’s vision. Ex Machina creates performances by incorporating many media such as puppets, music, dance, opera, film, video and graphic design. “I am accused of imprisoning myself in technology, but technology is a tool that allows me to explore things. We are dealing with an audience today that has a very sophisticated vocabulary. I’m not saying that we have to become more cinematic or televisual, but we have to find a way to invite that audience into the theater. Film was supposed to have killed theatre, but it liberated it. Every time there is a technological revolution, it gives an artist reason to hope.” In creating his shows, Lepage has instigated meetings between architects and set-designers, scientists and playwrights, and brought in artists from across the globe to collaborate. The hope behind these partnerships is the creation of new artistic forms. Ex Machina defines itself as “a laboratory, an incubator for a form of theatre that will reach and touch audiences from this new millennium.” Rachael Amy Rayment is a first-year dramaturgy student at the A.R.T./MXAT Institute for Advanced Theatre Training.