Event

OPHELIA by CARTE BLANCHE

For the Second Annual French Language Theatre Festival, Fabulations presents "Ophelia" by Carte blanche

The theater company Carte Blanche re-imagines the story of Hamlet's tragic heroine, Ophelia. Inspired by Arthur Rimbaud's elegiac poem to this remarkable woman, the story follows Ophelia beyond the pages of Shakespeare as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

In this newly revealed chapter, Ophelia travels the world searching for her identity. Lost in her dreams of Hamlet and the letters he sent her, she makes her way through strange and unknown countries, languages, and cultures. Always on the run, she flees from town to town, struggling with memories and dreams, with the ebb and flow of the tide of life as her constant companion.

At the crossroads between dance and theater, Ophelia is a meditation on the timelessness of this experience. Artistic director Charline Formenty channels her own story as an immigrant through this Shakesperian myth, while Rimbaud's text helps connect the tale to her French roots. The poem itself is a direct critique of Ophelia's naivety, as well as a love letter to the legend.

Directed by Formenty and performed by Marie W. Plouviez, Ophelia is the first creation of the San Francisco based company Carte Blanche.

After the show, artists will talk about their inspiration and experience.