Skip to main content

Member Directory / Company

logonoirtransparent

La Tortue Noire

Services Offered:

Production of puppet shows for adults

Specialty, Field of Activity:

Object theatre

Associated Show(s):

Château Miroir

Contact Details

165 rue Racine Est, Chicoutimi (Québec) G7H 5B8
communications@latortuenoire.com
latortuenoire.com
418-698-3403

Description

La Tortue Noire stands out by its ambition to create resolutely contemporary puppet shows. Its artists practice the art of surprising the audience with the originality of their shows which offer a subtle mixture of acting, puppet theater, theater of forms and animated objects. Throughout their multiple works destined to all audiences, they strive to develop virtuosity and meticulousness in the handling and manipulation of objects.

Regularly inspired by texts from contemporary playwrights such as Daniel Danis, Larry Tremblay or Bertolt Brecht, they dare to approach deep subjects in a poetic and playful manner, by creating rich images, both simple and strong. The artists of La Tortue Noire put the object at the very center of their creative process. The object then gives birth to the gesture, the staff on which the melody of the body in motion is written. It is through a raw aesthetic of a new agreement with the object, but an agreement that constantly needs to be renegotiated, that La Tortue Noire asserts its aesthetic specificity.

The performer’s work also being a central preoccupation for the artists, they constantly explore and reinvent the relationship between the handling of objects and the body of the actor. They put forward a creative process in which all creators work with a sense of freedom, in a collaborative spirit.

Founded in 2005, the company cumulates numerous experiences in creation, research and international touring. It has produced ten original shows which have been presented in Belgium, France, Italy, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Cuba, the United States, Mexico and Canada. La Tortue Noire’s original productions have also received a number of prizes. Among those, the Gallery Chagall Award, an important distinction awarded in Czech Republic, was given to the show Kiwi “for taking the medium of puppetry to superior levels.” In 2023, the L’AUTRE dans la cité project wins the prestigious international initiative prize, awarded by AVIAMA.

Whilst having a practice that tries to connect with a worldwide audience, La Tortue Noire anchors its roots in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. In addition to its artistic endeavours, the company regularly organizes workshops for schools, universities or for the professional community.

 

Honors

 

2006: Prix coup de coeur et coup de pouce au Festival Vue sur la relève pour Vie et mort du petit chaperon rouge.

2009: Prix coup de coeur et coup de pouce au Festival Vue sur la relève pour Le Grand Oeuvre

2009: Prix Chagall Award pour le meilleur spectacle avant-gardiste, Festival Spectaculo Interesse, République tchèque pour Kiwi.

2012: Prix Contribution du CRC accordé à Dany Lefrançois pour son apport au dynamisme culturel de la région.

2019: Prix du Créateur de l’année accordé à Dany Lefrançois (artiste et directeur artistique au sein de la Tortue Noire)

2020: La Tortue Noire lauréat d’une résidence au Centre international Les Récollets de la ville de Paris.

2023: Prix international de l’initiative décerné par l’AVIAMA pour le projet L’Autre dans la cité.

 

Shows Available

Château Miroir

Show / All audiences

L’Autre dans la cité

Show / All audiences

Le petit cercle de craie

Show / All audiences

Le Grand Oeuvre

Show / All audiences

OGRE

Show / Adults

Un Gamin au jardin

Show / Children (8-12 years)

Archive Works & Shows