Laid/e: An epic cabaret inspired by the works of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
“Lautrec was the first to develop the attitude to the star: a human being with exaggerated qualities and faults, who devours all the interest of a collective performance; the individual whose personality is at odds with its own environment and who yet is best suited to express all its most noticeable features.”
– Jacques Lassaigne
In the Laid/e Cabaret, director Celene Harder and her ensemble delved into the work of Toulouse-Lautrec and his muses. Lautrec’s fascination with Parisian nightlife and the bohemians inspired provocative representations of the entertainers, denizens and workers alike.
The culmination of a two month exploration into the experience and creations of Toulouse-Lautrec, Laid/e was a spectacle of desire, doubt and passion. Toulouse-Lautrewc’s depictions of the Montmartre nightlife are chaotic and solitary at once – there’s a palpable sense of isolation amidst the revelry. Lautrec was fascinated by ugliness and all too conscious of his own perceived failings.
Directed by CELENE HARDER. Performed by SARAH HAGGEMAN, AMY HINZ and RICO PFEIFFER. Stage and Lighting Design by KELSEY MILLER. Photography and Graphic Design by DEAN MULLIN
Presented November 13-16, 20-23 2019 at the Abattoir @cSpace King Edward (Calgary, AB)
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