La Vie de Galilée
Life of Galileo
by Bertolt Brecht
Directed by Éric Ruf
Richelieu
7 June 21 July 2019
Richelieu
La Vie de Galilée
2019-06-07 20:30:00 2019-07-21 20:30:00
Almost thirty years after the last production of "Life of Galileo" at the Comédie-Française, which also marked the text’s entry into the Repertoire, Éric Ruf is interested in what the play has to say regarding the fundamental necessity of doubt.
“Today, 10 January 1610, mankind writes in its diary: Galileo abolishes heaven”: accompanied by a pupil, the mathematician Galileo studies the firmament through his telescope. Ten years earlier, the philosopher Giordano Bruno was burned in Rome for having maintained, on the basis of Copernicus’ work, that we live in an infinite and centreless universe. Through observation and calculation, Galileo seeks evidence for his hypothesis of a cosmic system in which the Earth is “an ordinary celestial body, one of thousands”. From Padua to Venice, the mathematician undermines certainties by confronting the power of a Church that wishes to hold onto its absolute power over the “crystal spheres” in which Ptolemy had contained the world up to that point. Galileo’s discoveries about astronomy and physics fascinate the people but the scientist recants under the threat of torture. The Inquisition got the better of him, but not of his science.
In this play, which has been described as prophetic – Brecht began writing it while in exile in Denmark in 1938 and finished it in 1955, the complexity of Galileo’s character stands out, as noted by Antoine Vitez: “I need neither to save him nor not to save him, I only need to show him.” Almost thirty years after its last production at the Comédie-Française, which also marked the text’s entry into the Repertoire, Éric Ruf follows Vitez by focusing on what the play has to say regarding the fundamental necessity of doubt. For this ensemble play in fifteen tableaux, he is reunited with Hervé Pierre, an “actor-world” who was his Peer Gynt in 2012. Far from treatise or simplification but embracing knowledge, credulity, faith, ethics and science, this portrait spanning a long trajectory in a man’s life, expresses the paradoxes of the conquest of the mind.
NEW PRODUCTION
With the patronage of Allianz France
Duration
2.40 (with interval)
Venue
Creative team
Staging and s****cenography: Éric Ruf
Translation: Éloi Recoing
Costumes: Christian Lacroix
Lights: Bertrand Couderc
Original music: Vincent Leterme
Sound: Colombine Jacquemont
Choreographic work: Glysleïn Lefever
Artistic collaboration****: Léonidas Strapatsakis
Assistant stage manager: Alison Hornus
Assistant scenography: Julie Camus
Assistant costumes: Jean Philippe Pons
Assistant lights: Lila Meynard
Distribution
the company
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Véronique
VellaCôme de Médicis, la Vieille Femme, la Première Dame de réputation internationale et Marchand
See biography -
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Pierre
Louis-Calixtele Mathématicien, le Gros Prélat, Bellarmin, Vanni et Marchand (alternately)
See biography -
Gilles
Davidle Conseiller, le Philosophe, le Très Vieux Cardinal, Mincio et le Moine cerbère
See biography -
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Nâzim
BoudjenahLe Mathématicien, le Gros Prélat, Bellarmin, Vanni et Marchand (alternately)
See biography -
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The Comédie-Française Academy
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Peio
Berterretchel’Individu (1), Marchand, Homme de cour, Religieuse et Moine
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Beatrice
BienvilleMarchand, Dame de cour, Religieuse, Moine et Dame de réputation Internationale
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Magdalena
Calloc'hMarchand, Dame de cour, Religieuse, Moine et Dame de réputation internationale
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Pauline
ChabrolMarchand, Dame de cour, Religieuse, Moine et Dame de réputation internationale
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Thomas
KellerGiuseppe, Marchand, Homme de cour, Religieuse, Moine et L’Individu (2)
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Olivier
LugoGaffone, Marchand, Homme de cour, Religieuse et Moine
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Noémie
PastegerMarchand, Dame de cour, Religieuse, Moine et Dame de réputation internationale
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Léa
SchweitzerMarchand, Dame de cour, Religieuse, Moine et Dame de réputation internationale
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Jordan
VincentMarchand, Homme de cour, Religieuse et Moine
Calendar
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2019-06-06 20:30:00
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Gallery
La Vie de Galilée 18/19
Hervé Pierre, Bakary Sangaré, Jean Chevalier, Florence Viala, Pierre Louis-Calixte, Gilles David, Magdaléna Calloc'h, Pauline Chabrol, Véronique Vella, Noémie Pasteger, Béatrice Bienville, Jordan Vincent, Guillaume Gallienne, Léa Schweitzer, Thomas Keller, Jérémy Lopez, Peio Berterretche, Olivier Lugo
La Vie de Galilée 18/19
Hervé Pierre
La Vie de Galilée 18/19
Jérôme Pouly, Hervé Pierre
La Vie de Galilée 18/19
Jérôme Pouly, Florence Viala, Élise Lhomeau
La Vie de Galilée 18/19
Alain Lenglet, Hervé Pierre, Pierre Louis-Calixte, Élise Lhomeau, Julien Frison, Noémie Pasteger, Léa Schweitzer, Pauline Chabrol, Magdaléna Calloc'h, Olivier Lugo, Thierry Hancisse, Jérôme Pouly
La Vie de Galilée 18/19
Bakary Sangaré, Jean Chevalier, Jérémy Lopez