Hello and welcome to Spotlight on the Arts.
I'm Tom McNamara.
Arizona Arts Live, at the University of Arizona,
has been stepping up their efforts after the pandemic
to create live experiences that aim to inspire
creativity, enrich the culture of our community,
and elevate Tucson's place in the world artistically.
Now, this April Arizona Arts Live is bringing the live play
Dimanche by the Caliwate Company and Focus Company
all the way from Belgium to Tucson to perform on campus.
It's a funny and family friendly show,
and it's also a sympathetic portrait of humanity.
It uses lo-fi special effects, miniature vehicles,
puppetry video, mimes and more to tell the story of a family
trying to live a normal life amidst global chaos.
And here to tell us more about democracy is Sandrine Heyraud of
Caliwate, joining us all the way from Belgium today.
Sandrine, welcome.
Yes, thank you very much.
You're excited
because you've got a two week trip to the United States
coming up in a very short amount of time.
You'll be here in late April.
Tell us how the theater company in Tucson got together
with the theater company
all the way in Belgium to plan and put this on?
Well, we have
we have someone that's promoting the show that is in Berlin
that's called Aurora Nova And they had a few contacts,
yeah, in the United States.
And someone came to see us when we were acting in Australia.
And. Yeah, and then went on and it prepared and
and so we're really, really very happy
and looking forward for this tour.
Good deal. We are too.
And you know, you talk about the enthusiasm,
the attention has grown very quickly for the show.
Tell us what it's all about.
It's very entertaining.
I've seen the short clip already.
Well, it's
it's a show about climate change,
but it's more about the denial in which we are
and the delay that we observe in our everyday lives.
Between them, we know that we have to act
and to to to do something urgently, to change
and to make changes.
But at the same time, we have difficulties to
to change our everyday habits.
And so Dimanche is
there are two stories.
There's in one parts, there are two three reporters,
wildlife reporters that try to go and film
the last last animals.
And on on the other side, there's a family
trying to continue their day to day habits.
Even though there are climatic
there's a climatic crisis.
So, yes,
what we wanted to work on was really comedy and tragedy.
What are the benefits of putting it on as a play versus film?
You know, over and above what you might get out of a film?
Yeah, we writed it.
We wrote it in a very cinematography way.
So as we work with the we work with puppetry,
but also with Object Theater,
and this gives us the possibility to yes,
to change, to make a change of scales.
And it's very cinematographic
because we can do close ups and zooms and so
that's what gives
you the impression that you're like watching a movie. Yes.
And as I was saying, also, it's very everything is
very artisanal, is very simply made.
But we tried to create lots of surprises and a lot of magic,
even though it's the the the setting is quite simple.
You've made it very family friendly.
What's been the reaction
among younger members of the audience to this?
Well, it's a very family.
It works for for for families,
because I think children are quite
concerned by climate change and have lived
quite important things with the COVID crisis, etc..
And so
and so I think they feel really concerned by the question.
And for example, we had a really beautiful
example in Australia when we played.
It was just after the big forest fires.
And so the people were very, very touched by the show.
And there was a little boy
that was nine, ten years old that wrote in in the evening.
He wrote to the Prime Minister
to say that there had to be changes
quick changes to be made to act for climate change.
So yeah, we feel it.
We see that children feel really concerned by the question.
That sounds like it pretty much sums up
the take away that you want people to have from the show.
Of course, yes, of course.
It's a question that really concerns us all and
the future of our planet. So.
So, yes, we we don't want it to be
I don't know how you say it's in English.
“moralisateur” to give a moral but
but for people to to have a reflect.
To reflect after the show.
And to see how they can.
Yeah.
How we can change the things so that we can hope
for a better future then what is what we're looking.
Looking at for the moment.
All right.
Well, Sandrine, thank you so much for joining us today.
We wish you a wonderful trip here to the United States.
Thank you very. Much.
Best of luck on your American tour and here in Tucson.
And you'll have a chance to see Dimanche
from April 26th to April 29th at the Tornabene
Theater on the University of Arizona campus.
Student ticket prices are available,
and thanks for watching.
Spotlight on the Arts. I'm Tom McNamara.
We'll see you again soon.