[Interview] Lili Fevre: "AllOne is a show about the meeting of a crowd and an individual"

At the crossroads of dance, theatre and video, AllOne , a work on the crowd and the group, will be presented at the El Duende Theatre on October 23, 24 and 25. Meeting with Lili Fevre, author, director and one of the actors of the play.

"This is the story of One who wants to be part of the crowd while maintaining his integrity. This is the story of another who runs after power. This is the story of one who just wants to be without history. It is the story of the one who grasps his individuality. This is the story of those whom the crowd overtakes. It is the story of difference and conformism. A meeting of a crowd and an individual, the meeting of a crowd against an individual. It is the revolt of a crowd victim of itself."

J.F: What exactly is AllOne ?

Lili Fevre: It's a multidisciplinary piece, mixing theatre, dance and video. Work was also carried out on music and sound. The show focuses on the theme of the crowd and the group and all that this can generate (exclusion, leadership, belonging, marginality…). AllOne is composed in paintings, without "characters" with a linear story.

Why did you want to work on these issues?

Because I think we are confronted with it every day, constantly, without always being aware of it.

And why through theatre and dance?

These are mediums that touch a lot, at least for me. I go to the theater and dance since I was little, I am passionate. I think you can tell everything with theatre. Dance, through the body, is a discipline that can express things that words and voice cannot always translate.

In the show, you are at the same time author, director and actress?

Yes, I wrote it, directed it and also did the choreography. But the latter, as well as the staging, were greatly fueled by the proposals of the four other actors (Déborah Dozoul, Sandra Duca, Michael Helmrich, Romain Salomon).

So there are five of you on stage. Is it a deliberate choice to take few people for a play on the crowd?

It was complicated for a first project to physically create a crowd. Then I came up with the idea for the video. We shot the sequences at the Marbrerie in Montreuil for a whole day with volunteers, determined extras, who walked for a day to create the crowd.

What is your background?

I did a theater baccalaureate, where I met some pretty great teachers who opened me up to a lot of things. Then, I entered the Conservatory of the 10th arrondissement (2 years). In parallel, I followed a training at the university, in Theater Studies. I am currently in master 2.

And that of the actors?

First, it is important to clarify that I only worked with actors, not dancers. While some have practiced the discipline before, none professionally. That's what interested me, especially in the search for movement. I thought that the latter could be less perfect but more sincere and more emotional. I wanted to see different bodies, with interpretations of movements that varied. Because a crowd is that too. It is heterogeneous and multiple.

The backgrounds of the actors all vary. Michael Helmrich trained at the Perpignan Conservatory, Sandra Duca at the Béatrice Brout school, Romain Salomon at Studio Alain de Bocq and Déborah Dozoul at EDT91. These very different theatrical passives are interesting in the work. We do not necessarily like the same theatre, and this is what gives, in our exchanges, such rich debates and proposals… The actors contributed a lot to the project. The show as it is today could not have done it without them, that's obvious.

Is it an overall effort then?

Yes. And for once, the technical team is also very important in AllOne. Composed of my brother, Tom Fèvre, Brieuc Schieb on video, and Mathieu Jourdan on music, it has done a great job. The CRTH (Centre Recherche Théâtre Handicap) has also given us a lot, allowing us to do two residencies with them.

Do you draw your inspiration from the theatrical repertoire?

Every time I go to the theatre, it awakens things. And indeed, there are artists I admire: Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Maguy Marin, Mnouchkine, and Guy Cassiers to name a few… But I think I'm inspired by everything I see, sometimes even without being aware of it. Exhibitions, paintings, films… Even what I don't like helps me motivate myself and clarify my vision, my vision of theatre, as well as my artistic tastes.

Did working on the themes of the crowd and the group make you evolve on these notions?

Yes. I am much more aware of that today. I have a different look, I observe much more the crowd and the movements that result from it. The fact that I worked on it made me question my position in the group and the one I would like to have.

Practical information :

By and by Lili Fevre
With: Déborah Dozoul, Sandra Duca, Lili Fevre, Michael Helmrich, Romain Salomon
Video creation: Tom Fevre and Brieuc Schieb
Sound/musical creation: Mathieu Jourdan
Lighting design: César Sebastien

To be found on October 23, 24 and 25 at the Théâtre El Duende, Ivry-sur-Seine. Info and reservations on the website.