MASTER KARIM THE PARTRIDGE
By Martin Bellemare (Quebec, Canada)Francophone Canadian Theatre
MASTER KARIM THE PARTRIDGE
By Martin Bellemare
Translated from MAÎTRE KARIM LA PERDRIX (Quebec, Canada)
Synopsis
A migrant detention centre. Navigating the cracks of the political, legal and administrative bureaucracies exist Tina – a young woman of Georgian origin who works at the centre – as well as the fascinating Jamal (but is he actually be called Karim?).
With the administration unable to expel him or to decide his fate… Jamal comes and goes, then comes back. His secret? He’s stateless – the world is his kingdom. Even when incarcerated he will remain free, Master Karim the partridge is the story of a meeting point between refugees, those who work with them, and those who work to expel them.
The innovation and poetic approach of the Quebecois “Langue d’auteur”, the unique choral work of Martin Bellmare’s text, Maître Karim la perdrix, provides the creation of roles for underrepresented, or even, recently arrived artists, more importantly provides a metaphor for the journeys of many of our audiences and a catalyst for community conversation.
About
Length: 1 hr 15.
Chracters: Multiple Voices
This translation was commissioned by The Presentation House Theatre (North Vancouver, Canada) and made possible by a grant from Canada Council for the Arts.
Production History
MAITRE KARIM was produced and toured Internationaly La compagnie Astrov.
Awards & Notables
Recipient of:
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Prix SACD de la dramaturgie francophone (2018)
-
Aide à la création Textes dramatiques Artcena (2017)
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Aide à l’écriture Textes accompagnés Collectif, À mots découverts (2017)
Press
“…a singular text with unique rhythms resulting from a multi-voiced construction, this is a fierce work on an important subject, the refugee experience.”
SACD Jury
“…it forces us to consider the very real situations facing immigrants, official or not, asylum seekers or not. Of those who welcome them and those working to deport them. And the humanity of both.”
Mario Cloutier, La Presse
TRANSLATION EXCERPT
The detention centre is divided into separate buildings
Like camembert cheese
At one end of the corridor
The police and security
And there
The recreational zone
Each building is separated by fencing
During the day
Detainees circulate
Even between buildings
Freely
Except the women’s building and the family building
You need a pass for those
Each stay is limited to forty-five days
Over the first ten days
Most detainees are
Either released
Or deported
The maximum stay of detention was extended
At first it was 7 days
Then 12
Then 15
Then 32
Now it’s 45
About the Playwright
MARTIN BELLEMARE
With his work described as “dazzling formal mastery” and “virtuoso inventiveness” by the Prix Michel-Tremblay jury, Martin Bellemare is a leading new voice in Quebecois theatre whose work has yet to be translated to English.
A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada French Language Playwrighting program. He received NTC’s Creation Award for La Liberté (2012) and Moule Robert (2017). In 2018, he received the Prix SACD de la dramaturgie francophone for Maître Karim la perdrix and the Prix Michel-Tremblay for Moule Robert.
He has been writer in residence at Théâtre de l’Aquarium (Cartoucherie/Paris), La Chartreuse, Centre National des Écritures du Spectacle (Villeneuve-lès Avignon), La Maison des Auteurs (Limoges), the Domaine de Mariemont (CED-WB/Wallonie), Théâtre du Bic (Québec). His work for young audiences is published by Lansman and have been presented in Montréal, Paris and Poznan (Poland). Recently, Des pieds et des mains, was created at Centre National des Arts (Ottawa, 2016), and presented at Tarmac (Paris, 2017).
His work has been produced in Quebec, France, Poland and Switzerland and translated into German, Italian and Lithuanian.
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