The France-Quebec improvisation match was full in Auch this Wednesday night. Internships, competitions, college admissions… This discipline has more and more devotees.
The hall of the city hall was full as an egg this Thursday evening, on the balconies, in the room, a lot of young spectators, who came to watch the very special match between France and Quebec. The 350 seats were sold out so quickly that some curious people could not find tickets to buy at the box office… Two improvisational theater teams competed on the stage. If the Quebecers are professionals, good connoisseurs of exercises, the French are perfect amateurs, all members of the Austrian company The Instant Projector.
Jonathan Pratte (left) on stage this Thursday at the Auch Theatre.
Established in Auch since 2019, under the umbrella of Jonathan Pratte, director, the company has used the shutdown due to Covid to restructure itself to respond to rapidly growing demand. From less than 10 people in the beginning, The Instant Projector has grown to 60 members in 2023. “We offer them weekly workshops, 4 for adults and 2 for teenagers,” explains Jonathan Pratte. We teach them techniques, they train. But the ultimate goal is the show. Improvisational theater needs a stage, an audience, to exist. »
Spectators saw the match on Thursday, one of the multiple discipline formats. The audience votes for the team they liked the most, but it mostly boils down to interactivity with themselves: the final result counts less than the pleasure of playing together. “The basis of this theatrical art lies in the cooperation of the players”, analyzes Jonathan Pratte. The actors do not play against each other, but together. » Listening to others and paying attention to their playing are key to developing your own practice. A very special, benevolent spirit, which explains the success of this discipline based on theatrical and cerebral acrobatics. These are also very funny moments, where the actors 200% convey to the audience their pleasure of playing on stage.
Discovery
Improv fans will also be able to attend the Auch-Toulouse match on December 15. “We have 4 or 5 regional meetings a year. The match is an opportunity to meet other actors and talk on stage. »
Improvisational theater attracts more and more people, attracted by this very open practice, without prerequisites. “Moment Projector organized discovery sessions and from the very beginning we saw that people who came stayed,” recalls the company director. The next Discovery course takes place on Wednesday 22 November at 5.30pm in the Cordeliers Hall and is free. It’s a good way to get your own idea. »
School improvisation
At Mathalin College, 14 students take improvisation classes a week. Director Corinne Arleri, who has been involved in theater improvisation for years, is convinced of the benefit of the exercise: “It brings an extraordinary factor of social cohesion, helps manage stress, speaks freely, with kindness. » She herself contacted the Projecteur d’Instants to organize this collaboration from 2022. “This activity should be mandatory, like in Quebec! » As of 2022, Auscitain College was in the regional final.