Lise Lendais

PIED-NOIR is a theatrical essay on the Europeans from “French Algeria” and their traces, a play with memories and imagination and a quest to find lost voices of the past. The artist Lise Lendais exploits her own past for PIED-NOIR since the paternal line of her family is derived from the so-called “Pied-noirs” French from colonial Algeria, who left the country after it gained independence in 1962. In a work and research process shared with baritone singer Nicola Simeha and dramaturg Anna Feldbein, Lise Lendais deals with how different generations tackle history and the gaps therein. Personal narratives, authentic testimonies, music and literature on Algeria during the colonial era (1830‒1962) are woven into an evening of staged song recitals. PIED-NOIR deconstructs and reconstructs stories and myths twining around the no longer existent “French Algeria”. Lise Lendais works at the interface of theatre and performance. Her most recent production at brut was her play Talin, Mary Kate and Me at the 2013 imagetanz festival. www.liselendais.com

Audience talk on Thursday, 22 January following the show.

Artistic director Lise Lendais Dramaturge Anna Feldbein Performers Sebastian Bauer, László Kövi, Nicolas Simeha, Isolde Schmitt Piano László Kövi Singer Nicolas SimehaArtistic assistant Clara Reiner Technical director and light designer Andreas Lendais Sound designer Sebastian Bauer Technical assistant Nadjib Siagh Translator Isolde Schmitt Consultant Anne Juren 

A co-production of Bühnenspiel and brut Wien. With the kind support of the City of Vienna’s Cultural Department and the Institut français d'Autriche.

Lise Lendais - PIED-NOIR (Trailer) from brut Wien on Vimeo.

Secret Ingredients

21 to 23 January, 6 to 10 pm Salon Beige at Institut français d'Autriche
26 to 30 Januars, 10 to 6 pm (for this period it is necessary to make an appointment at +43 1 50 27 53 72 or culturel@institutfr.at)
Prologue…Epilogue (slide show/sound installation)

Before and after the performances of PIED-NOIR, there is an exhibition of the Austrian photographer Johann Schoiswohl, which references the research material of the PIED-NOIR artists and deals with the topics of memory and history. The exhibition is accompanied by a sound installation, in which 77-year-old Frenchwoman Nicole Foucher speaks about how she fought as a soldier in the Algerian War (Interview on SoundCloud and translation). You might know Nicole Foucher from her appearance in a piece by Gin Müller at brut. Admission free! http://johannschoiswohl.at

Photographs Johann Schoiswohl Voice Nicole Foucher & Isolde Schmitt Assisted by the PIED-NOIR team

Prologue...Epilogue is part of the series Secret Ingredients: In its last season before the new artistic team takes over, brut launches the one-year series in addition to co-productions and guest performances. Local and international artists who have continuously collaborated with brut during the past years give insight into their artistic work process and methods. More Information

€ 14,- full price
€ 8,- reduced
€ 6,- with the brutkarte*