Francophonie Atlanta

Theater and TV director, Béleck Georges, from Haiti visits Atlanta March 25 – 29 to create original play on the spot for Théâtre du Rêve and Atlanta Francophonie Festival

 Who: Open to current 6th-12th grade students. Space is limited! No prior knowledge of French or Créole is required to participate.
 Cost: $100 per student
 When: March 25-29 — Students to participate in workshops Tuesday through Friday 4pm-7:30pm (food provided) with public performances Saturday at 2pm and 8pm.
 Where: The Goat Farm Arts Center, 1200 Foster St. Atlanta, GA 30318
 Registration link: Nearly New Student Play Workshop Registration or call 404-875-3829
 Registration Deadline: March 5th

Playwright, director and producer of Haiti’s equivalent of Saturday Night Live, Georges will collaborate with Théâtre du Rêve, the only French-speaking theater company in the U.S. An original play will be created and performed twice on March 29 at the Goat Farm Arts Center.

For five intense days, Georges will inspire and direct 20 selected Atlanta students of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds to write a play based on issues that matter to them. Five professional actors will also join the cast. The end result will be performed in French, English and Créole. “We must not teach young people what to think or say,” Georges believes. “It’s better to listen to their ideas and let them think for themselves.”

Register now to participate in this once in a lifetime workshop!

More on the artist:

As founders of Comedie sans Frontieres (meaning Comedy without Borders, a pun on Doctors without Borders), Georges and his wife have engaged about 1,000 young people every year since 1992 to create original plays and perform for large audiences in Haiti and Europe. Their high-spirited performances draw crowds of 2,000 paying customers. “My plays before the earthquake were dramas, but I switched to comedy,” Georges explains. “People were already crying so much in real life, why should they cry in theaters?”

More on the project:

The Atlanta connection happened when Théâtre du Rêve’s artistic director Park Krausen met Béleck Georges at a conference in Canada. She recognized immediately that he was an unparalleled creative force and invited him to collaborate here.

The project is made possible with support from Theatre Communications Group’s Global Connections – ON the ROAD program funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.