Performance

In 2001, during his journey to Burkina Faso, Jean/Louise Martinelli was a direct witness of a tragic dimension of life in Africa. His observations and experience there brought him to a production of Max Rouquette's drama “Medea” (inspired by Euripides' best known drama), written in the Occitan tongue, a country dialect in southern France. This archaic rural language presented for Martinelli an ideal reflection of the Bambara language, the language of the countryside in Burkina Faso. Martinelli decided to link the spirit of this always contemporary antique drama with Africa, thus confirming its universal character. It is on African soil that magic, superstition and sacral notions are inextricably linked with the reality of everyday life. Shaky attempts at democratisation, the brutality of ethnic warfare and very fragile national borders, are all presented in this drama of life in a community and escape. To achieve this, Jean-Luise Martinelli decided to set Medea, and all the women who accompany her, in a refugee camp. This is where Medea awaits for Jason's return. A choir of Bambara women sing in response to the cries and calls of the Daughter of the Sun, their music composed by Ray Lema. The brave Argonaut tells Medea of his decision to embark on a search for power and wealth, on a search for the Golden Fleece. Thus Medea, the deceived refugee, becomes the heroine of a completely human crime of passion.

“A woman befooled kills her children, but we no longer see this as colossally terrible, but as an attempt to sympathise with the citizen of the world.“ (Gilles Costaz – Politis)

Director

Since his arrival at the Théâtre Nanterre - Amandiers , Jean-Louise Martinelli has produced several plays, among them Lars Norén's: Catégorie 3,1 (Human Circles 3,1), Max Rouquette's Médée (Medea), featuring actors from Burkina Faso, Aziz Chouaki's Les Sacrifées Gaudé and Une virée (The Reef), Bertolta Brecht's Schweik, with Jean-Pierre Bacri in the lead role, Jacques Jouet's La République de Mek-Ouyes (The Mek-Ouyes Republic), Jean Racine's Bérénice, and Lars Norén's Kliniken, as well as Détails. But his interest in contemprary dramatists is nothing new. Even earlier, as the director of the Théâtre de Lyon, Martinelli has directed the work's of today's authors, such as Passolini, Pagnol and Eustachi, and continued with this practice with Bernard-Marie Koltès, Rainer-Werner Fassbinder, Heiner Müller and Lars Norén at the Strasbourg National Theatre. He has directed several works of the greatest dramatists of our time. 

Theatre

Théâtre Nanterre - Amandiers was established in 1971 by Pierre Debauche, and has been headed by a series of successful directors Raoul Sangla, Patrice Chéreau, Catherine Tasca and Jean-Pierre Vincent, and, since 2001, Jean-Louis Martinelli.  Today, the Théâtre Nanterre – Amandiers is one of the most important theatre centres in France. Since its inception, it has remained the most active platform for contemporary drama productions, in both France and Europe in general. Very well known French directors, the likes of Bernard-Marie Koltès, as well as world-renowned directors such as Patrice Chéreau, Luc Bondy and Matthias Langhof, have worked in the theatre with glamorous actors: Michel Piccoli, Jane Birkin, Charlesa Berlinga, and many others. The theatre has to this day remained well-known for its outstanding performances of the most contemporary dramas, which attract crowds og theatregoers.