The Seven Streams of the River Ōta

As part of the 42nd Autumn Festival  and with the support of the Government of Quebec in Canada, Robert Lepage premières in Spain a seven-hour play that explores three major events in the 20th century (the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, concentration camps and AIDS) through the intimate stories of anonymous characters. This project can be seen on 16, 17, 19, 20, 22 and 23 November in the Sala Roja (Red Hall) at Teatros del Canal.

The performance is in English, French, German and Japanese with Spanish subtitles.  It was in 1994 when Robert Lepage released this piece that would ultimately consolidate his career and that of his company, Ex Machina. Decades after its première, Lepage has decided to revive it without altering its essence, only adapting it to enhance its clarity. It is arranged into seven sequences covering 50 years of history, from the devastation of Hiroshima (Japan) during the last throes of the Second World War to the AIDS crisis in Amsterdam (Netherlands).

The stage design, consisting of boxes, which evoke Japanese architecture, takes the audience to diverse scenes and periods, whilst the tales are interwoven with each other in order to reflect the search for meaning and serenity in a world marked by horror. With this review, Lepage continues remembering the importance of historic memory through an intense theatre experience that transcends time.

Robert Lepage is a renowned Canadian director, playwright and actor, known for his innovative and visually impressive approach to theatre. Born in 1957 in Quebec, Lepage has been one of Canada's leading figures in the performing arts since the 1980s. His work is characterised by the fusion of technology, multimedia projections and complex narratives.

Lepage founded Ex Machina in 1994, with which he has produced many of his best known productions, such as The Dragons’ Trilogy or The Blue House. He has also directed operas, films and circus shows, including collaborations with Cirque du Soleil.

Artistic File:

Venue: Teatros del Canal - Sala Roja

• Text - Éric Bernier, Gérard Bibeau, Normand Bissonnette, Rebecca Blankenship, Marie Brassard, Anne-Marie Cadieux, Normand Daneau, Richard Fréchette, Marie Gignac, Patrick Goyette, Robert Lepage, Macha Limonchik and Ghislaine Vincent
• Directed and Designed by - Robert Lepage
• Creative Director - Steve Blanchet
• Playwright - Gérard Bibeau
• Translator - Spanish Subtitles - Loreto Mendeville
• Assistant Director - Adèle Saint-Amand
• Performers - Rebecca Blankenship, Lorraine Côté, Christian Essiambre, Richard Fréchette, Tetsuya Kudaka, Myriam Leblanc, Umihiko Miya, Audrée Southière, Philippe Thibault-Denis and Donna Yamamoto
• Music and Sound Design - Michel F. Côté
• Musician and Musical Collaborator - Tetsuya Kudaka
• Set Design - Original Production - Carl Fillion
• Set Design - Adaptation - Ariane Sauvé
• Lighting Design - Sonoyo Nishikawa
• Image Design - Keven Dubois
• Costume Design - Virginie Leclerc
• Props Design - Claudia Gendreau
• Production Manager - Marie-Pierre Gagné
• Production Assistant - Véronique St-Jacques
• Technical Director - Creation - Catherine Guay
• Tour Manager - Marylise Gagnon
• Touring Technical Director - Simon Cloutier
• Stage Manager - Francis Beaulieu
• Sound Manager - Gaspard Philippe
• Lighting Manager -Marie-Ève Malenfant
• Video Manager - Samuel Sérandour
• Assistant Stage Manager - Anne Marie Bureau
• Head of Machines - Louis-Philippe Cloutier
• Costume Manager - Virginie Leclerc
• Props Manager - Chloé Blanchet
• Set Design Project Manager - Paul Bourque
• Technical Consultants - Stanislas Élie, François Ferland-Bilodeau
• Set Construction - Astuce Décors, Conception Alain Gagn
• Costume Making - Par Apparat and confection créative
• Manager of Music Copyrights - Delphine Saint-Marcoux and Josée-Anne Tremblay, La Négo
• Communication Coordinator - Nina Lauren
• Robert Lepage’s Agent - Lynda Beaulieu
• Design, original version (in addition to those mentioned above) - Catherine Chagnon, Jacques Collin, Sylvie Courbron, Éric Fauque, Yvan Gaudin, Cathy Lachance and Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt
• Image Credits - © Elias Djemil

Programme:

• Act 1 - Moving Pictures (45 min)
• Act 2 - Two Jeffreys (60 min)
• Interval 1 (20 min)
• Act 3 - Words (50 min)
• Pause 1 (10 min)
• Act 4 - A Wedding (40 min)
• Interval 2 (45 min)
• Act 5 - Mirrors (40 min)
• Pause 2 (5 min)
• Act 6 - The Interview (30 min)
• Interval 3 (20 min)
• Act 7 - Thunder (60 min)

Language: English, French, German and Japanese with Spanish subtitles

Approximate Duration: 7 hours (including 3 intervals)