The creation in 1985
The show was created September 11, 1985 at the Cartoucherie, in a staging of Ariane Mnouchkine.
Notes of rehearsals extracted from Sophie Moscoso’s archives,
given to the department of Performing arts – BnF and integrated in Archives Collections of the Théâtre du Soleil. These marks arise from the republication of the text of the show © Théâtre du Soleil in coedition with les éditions Théâtrales and the BnF, in May, 2010.
“January 15th, 1985
I am in the intersection of two works. That of our author, and that of our theater.
The Cambodia. Hélène transported herself inside.
Contrary to this distance, this cynicism, this casualness, this incredulity, this skepticism to which accustom us the narratives of newspapers accustom us, this pale language which does not make either see or understand – as well as the incredulity which struck of “passivity” all those who heard the first narratives of the refugees leaving the Khmer Rouge’s hell – the theater requires that we believe, that we believe the text.
What means not at all an abandon of the intelligence.
Fight against the settled History.
The Musician is not a character, but the Music.”
Click here to continue reading in French: Notes de répétitions 1985
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- Titre de la pièce en Khmer sur le mur de la Cartoucherie, 1985 ⓒ Théâtre du Soleil.
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- Sihanouk et Suramarit, 1985 ⓒ Michèle Laurent
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- L’histoire terrible de N. Sihanouk, 1985 ⓒ Michèle Laurent.
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- Suramarit, Samnol et Lamané, 1985 ⓒ Michèle Laurent.
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- Mme Lamné (Clémentine Yelnik), Mme Khieu Samnol (Myriam Azencot) ⓒ Michèle Laurent, 1985.
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- Suramarit et Sihanouk ⓒ Michèle Laurent, 1985.
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- Suramarit ⓒ Michèle Laurent, 1985.
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- Représentaiton à la Cartoucherie, 1985 ⓒ Michèle Laurent, 1985.
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- Représentation à la Cartoucherie, au loin les statues d’E. Stiefel. ⓒ Michèle Laurent, 1985.
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- Penn Nouth (Maurice Durozier), Sihanouk (G. Bigot), des paysans (Zinedine Soualem and Simon Abkarian), Mme Khieu Samnol (Myriam Azencot) ⓒ Michèle Laurent, 1985.
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- Guy Freixe devant le masque de Suramarit, fabriqué par Erhard Stiefel. Image : Martine Franck © Magnum photos.
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- Gal. Abrams (S. Abkarian), H. Kissinger (S. Poncelet), M. Laird (J.F. Dusigne). ⓒ Martine Franck, Magnum Photos.
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- Suramarit (Guy Freixe) et Sihanouk (Georges Bigot). Image : Martine Franck, 1985 ⓒ Magnum Photos.
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- Ariane Mnouchkine, Odile Cointepas et Myriam Azencot, séance de travail, 1985. © Michèle Laurent
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- Myriam Azencot, 1985. © Michèle Laurent
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- Georges Bigot (Sihanouk), 1985. © Michèle Laurent
Program of the 1985’s representations:
The play has been played at the Cartoucherie (Paris) from september 11th, 1985 to may 31 st, 1986 and then on tour in Amsterdam, Bruxelles, Madrid and Barcelona.
Document published by the Spanish Ministry of Culture in 1986:
El théâtre du Soleil, amanecer en otoño.
Intervention d’Ariane Mnouchkine, Hélène Cixous et Maurice Durozier :
Enregistrement réalisé lors de la journée d’Étude “Histoire et Théâtre: autour de “Sihanouk”.” le 25/10/2013 à la Cartoucherie.
Colloque AM HC MD
Excerpts of the documentary film “Auf der Suche nach der Sonne”
In Search of the Sun.
Directed by Werner Schroeter, 1986.
Courtesy Ziegler Film.
A documentary on the Ariane Mnouchkine and the Théâtre du Soleil working with, at its center , extracts from “The Terrible but Unfinished Story of Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia.” “There is no art , writing nor story that doesn’t take its source in love. Choice of Cambodia is also a choice of love. I could not have write about a people whom I can not fall in love. “We hear these words of Helene Cixous, those of Werner Schroeter on cinema. And those, nearby, of Ariane Mnouchkine on her company. “It was the desire to seek the happiness that led to the creation of the Théâtre du Soleil. It was from looking in search of the more beautiful, the more clearly, the more dangerous, the more human. ”
