Terre de scènes amateur theater festival returns to Villefranche
The amateur theater festival Terre de scènes returns to the theater of Villefranche from October 23 to 25, 2026, featuring a diverse contemporary and classical lineup organized by the cultural office of Villefranche, as described in the source articles.
Opening Night Features Transhumanist Molière Adaptation
The festival opens on Friday, October 23, at 8 p.m. with Molière’s Le Malade imaginaire, performed by the Feyzin-based company In The Heart with seven actors on stage. Director and actor Baptiste Portelli stated in a press conference that the text was slightly shortened for timing and given a modern staging. The production sets Molière’s story within the era of transhumanism and tech lords who exploit fears similarly to historical physicians. In this version, Argan relies on technologies meant to save him, while Toinette acts as a critical voice resisting the surrounding absurdity through a set design incorporating video elements.
Diverse Weekend Lineup Explores Absurdity and Huis Clos
The program continues on Saturday, October 24, at 2 p.m. with the Théâtre du Sol company from Charly performing Copi’s La Pyramide. Set inside an Inca pyramid, a blind queen, a purposeless princess, and an enamored Jesuit clash in a grotesque cannibal vaudeville addressing hunger, underdevelopment, colonization, and religious influence. At 5 p.m., the Nouvel Acte company from Istres stages Didier Caron’s Fausse note for their 92nd performance. The play depicts an intrusive admirer entering an international conductor’s dressing room after a concert, escalating into a tense huis clos where an oppressive conversation reveals dark truths.
Tensions of Loss and Family Drama on Stage
At 8 p.m. on Saturday, two actors from the Compagnie du Boulevard in Gleizé present Poison by Dutch author Lot Vekemans. Actor Vincent Tantaro described the piece as moving, focusing on the reunion of a man and woman separated for years following their child’s death as they meet at the cemetery gravesite. Alain Bourbon, artistic director of the National Amateur Contemporary Theater Festival of Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne, handles the staging.
Special Screenings, Improvisation, and Jury Awards
The schedule also features out-of-competition events, beginning Saturday at 11 a.m. with a youth production for ages three and up titled L’Incroyable voyage de Laura Boldini, combining theater, cinema, and circus arts. Circassian Sara Jarz stars as Laura Boldini, with a script and video realization by Didier Dunan. Sunday at 10:30 a.m. brings an improvisation performance titled Improvi bar in the theater lobby with actors from the Misfits theater school, followed by an improv session guided by a director with participants from Secours populaire, as noted by Christine Forget. During jury deliberations on Sunday at 2 p.m., the Lycée de Mongré theater troupe presents Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector, directed by Marie-Rose Marduel with 13 actors portraying the corrupt town officials panicked by a traveler mistaken for a government inspector. The festival concludes on Sunday, October 25, at 4 p.m. with the awards ceremony led by a jury comprising actors Nelly Clastrier, David Antoniotti, and Loris Sebbag.
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