PARADE ISSIMO
LES SAGES FOUS
The birdwoman crosses the city pulling her cart, piled high with all her possessions. She tends to her little creatures, tracing strange signs on the concrete with grain.
She searches for her large birds that have strayed into the city. When she finds her two wild ostriches, ridden by their proud and boisterous riders, they lead her on a mad dash to the place where they will build their nest.
Ceremoniously, the birdwoman unveils the giant egg laid by the majestic birds. The ostriches fiercely protect their territory and are very slow to allow themselves to be tamed by the crowd, who will finally be able to get close enough to feed them and perhaps even listen to the heart beating inside their precious egg.
In a ballet of love, a nuptial dance, an egg will hatch, a puppet will be born.
Masks and puppets: South Miller
Puppet trainer: Jacob Brindamour
Mechanisms and rigging: Sylvain Longpré
Music: Rabih Abou-Khalil
PRIZES AND MENTIONS
Award fo the best street performance
Festival de Koblenz
Germany – 2004
Jury’s mention
Most captivating show
International Puppetbusker Festival
Gand, Belgium – 2003
People’s Choice Award
Festival International d’Été de Québec
Quebec, Canada – 2002
Performing Arts Award – Creation
Conseil Régional de la Culture de la Mauricie
Trois-Rivières, Québec – 2002
“Les Sages Fous are so successful at bringing their puppets to life that it is easy to confuse reality and fiction (…) the audience was practically breathless. (…)
they are deeply moving.”
Le Journal de Québec, Michel Dufour
Québec, 2002
“A poetic flight (…) to tell the story of a woman, part fairy, part witch, who traces strange symbols on the ground and scatters magical grains to conjure up fantastical beings.”
Corriere della Sera, Colombo Severino
Italy, 2004
TOUR DATES
Parade Issimo was part of the official selection
of 70 international festivals in 16 countries, including:
UNIMA World Congress Festival, Rijecka, Croatia
Tête-à-tête festival, Rastatt, Germany
Singapore Arts Festival, Singapore
Stockton International Riverside Festival, Stockton, England
La Strada, Graz, Austria
Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes de Charleville-Mézières, France
MIMOS – Festival du Mime Contemporain, Périgueux, France
Fira de Teatre al Carrer, Tarrega, Spain
Festival Petits Bonheurs, Montreal, Canada
Festival d’Été de Québec, Quebec City, Canada
Puppets in the Green Mountains, an international festival of unusual theater, United States
