La Forteresse

Let's imagine a clinic where the principles of institutional psychotherapy, notably invented by François Tosquelles and Jean Oury, are applied. Here, as in Saint-Alban or La Borde, the institution is treated to heal the patients. Men and women have transformed this enclosed space into a place of passage, a place of care into a place of life, where the distinction between nurses and doctors, between caregivers and those cared for, dissipates. Meal preparation, cleaning, artistic practice workshops: everything becomes an opportunity for shared moments. One evening, the closure of this protected haven is announced. Only 48 hours remain to live together. How can everything that has been built be cared for until the very end? How to say goodbye?

A party is being prepared. A theme must be decided, food cooked, a set created, costumes found, a text written.

So many appointments punctuate the last two days of this microcosm.With her team, Elsa Revcolevschi invents a form that matches the threatened community, transforming its fortress into a utopia. Far from documentary theatre, the show presents scenes of life blending dream and reality, poetry and everyday words to create powerful art theatre.The strength of the show lies in its ability to celebrate the joy of living and of community while questioning the capacity of our public health policies to accommodate the sick. COUNTERMARK TO BE EXCHANGED