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C'est (un peu) compliqué d'être l'origine du monde
Tiphaine Gentilleau et __ Les Filles de Simone

photo: Giovanni Cittadini Cesi

Actes du théâtre n° 94.

[ imprimer ]

It's about a young woman. Well, several. But maybe they're all contained in the same woman. And she's suddenly dealing with the issue of maternity. She struggles between states of neurosis and delight, contradictory injunctions from a neighbor, a boss, a doctor ...
In a series of blunt and comical scenes, from a pregnancy test to negotiating work hours, we gradually see the journey of a young woman in the throes of "becoming a mother" where the private and the political are all tangled together.

"A passionate declamation coming from a desire to convince, it has achieved its goal, being neither vengeful nor preachy, full of self-deprecating humor, and fueled by an eagerness to help the guys understand that having kids is not just women's business!"
Charlie Hebdo, Gil Chauveau, September 21, 2016

"Between a lecture couched in political and feminist language, a narrative with autobiographical overtones and downright funny burlesque scenes, the mix works perfectly, showing great dramatic skill."
La Terrasse, Eric Demey, September 2016

Opened at La Loge (Paris) February 13, 2015 then at the Théâtre du Rond-Point (Paris) in October 2015. 2016-2017 Tour: From September 8 - October 2, 2016 at the Théâtre du Rond-Point – Paris and throughout France.

Group piece by Les Filles de Simone – Claire Fretel, Tiphaine Gentilleau, Chloé Olivères. Lighting design: Mathieu Courtaillier. Cast: Tiphaine Gentilleau and Chloé Olivères.

Characters : 9 women - 9 female characters (can be played by a minimum of 2 actresses, and up to 9)
Actes Sud - Papiers

WOMAN DIRECTOR (cutting her off) I'm delighted for you it's wonderful but it's complicated for me.
YOUNG WOMAN Complicated for you?
DIRECTOR Yes really complicated. I have to say I'm … Quite … Well … It's a bit like stabbing me in the back with this fait accompli. The expression seems a propos here.
YOUNG WOMAN I can still act, I'm in great form, no one will know if I don't mention it, I don't see what's so complicated about it.
DIRECTOR OMG. I'm in trouble. I have to say I'm not feeling good about this. And you just tell me like that, with opening night only a week away ...
YOUNG WOMAN That's exactly the point, opening night is only a week away and no one can't see anything, so I'm acting in it, there's not a problem!
(…)
DIRECTOR It's weird.
YOUNG WOMAN What's weird?
DIRECTOR Your belly!
YOUNG WOMAN It doesn't show!
DIRECTOR I don't know. It bothers me. You'll have to wear control panties.
YOUNG WOMAN Control panties?
DIRECTOR They hold it up. Contain it. It'll be good.

---- -----
YOUNG WOMAN Neither animal nor vegetable, colloid reserve, or polyp incubator. Neither a radiant happy mother, nor the eternal, maternal, natural and instinctive woman. And yet this is still seen everywhere: those images of virgin and child, those model over-the-moon mothers with rounded breasts from giving the milk of human kindness to the child even when it's over two years old, the graceful bodies of mothers never tired or hurting, all smiles at their time not being their own anymore. So am I the only one who can't act like that? And especially who feels a list of inconveniences as long as an umbilical cord? And everything that's stewing in my mind. Why this anger, this feeling that I need to go through some grieving process? It's a new life starting and all I can think about is my own freedom, time for myself, my right to have ambitions that I'm afraid will disappear. Am I that selfish? A witch? Already such a "bad mother?"