Countess Aurelia is an aging idealist who is comfortable with being known as an eccentric. She is also considered a madwoman in the Chaillot district of Paris. But she is OK with that, believing it is always better to see the world as happy and beautiful and not take notice of what others may think.
While others may believe she is not normal and can be deceived, the countess has a streak of goodness in her that should not be taken for granted.
With this established, the Madwoman of Challiot, thought of as easy pickings for the diabolical, can be a surprisingly formidable opponent, particularly when she assembles a motley crew of ìlittle peopleî, while endangered by power and greed, to find inspiration and motivation to make things right in their world.
This and more is detailed in the play The Madwoman of Chaillot, considered a poetic satire, by French dramatist Jean Giraudoux. It was written in 1943 and first performed two years later. In 1969 the play was made into a major motion picture with cinema icon Katharine Hepburn playing the role of the eccentric countess.
The Madwoman of Chaillot caught the attention of Rob Burton, drama teacher at Innisfail Junior/Senior High School, and will be performed by drama club members from Grade 8 to 12 on Feb. 1, 2 (1 p.m. matinee and 7 p.m. evening performance), 7, 8 and 9 in the school's drama room.
ìI read eight scripts this year and nothing was appropriate to the age of the cast,î said Burton, whose play required 25 characters, 17 male and eight female. He ended up with 20 girls and five boys to play such parts as The Waiter, The Prospector, The Ragpicker, The Deaf-Mute, The Sewer-Man and many more.
ìIt is off the wall but not completely random. It has a theme to it,î said Burton.
In the play the countess is the caretaker of the CafÈ Chez Francis. She becomes aware a group of corporate executives ñ The Prospector, The President and The Baron - are meeting and plotting to dig up Paris and take the oil they believe is under the streets. The countess comes to believe through her associate, The Ragpicker, the world is in serious jeopardy of being placed in peril by the nefarious trio, so much so that the pigeons have already stopped flying.
ìThey run everything, they corrupt everything,î laments The Ragpicker. The countess, defying all apparent eccentricities, enlists the support from a rather bizarre group of outcasts, oddballs and dreamers, including The Ragpicker, The Street Singer and The Deaf-Mute. She even finds help from other madwomen of the day.
Things ultimately go to a trial. The wreckers of the world face a dark banishment. The countess is determined to bring back peace, love and joy to the world.
The school's production of The Madwoman of Chaillot began in late September to select the cast. Rehearsals started at the beginning of October. With just a little over two weeks to go before the first show, the crew is working hard to pull off a thoroughly entertaining show.
ìOut of the 25 students, 22 had never been in a play with me,î said Burton, who has been spearheading the annual productions at the school for the last six years. ìIt is fun. It is neat. They have a different energy.
ìEvery show I have done there has been last-minute scrambling,î he added. ìBut they (cast) are dedicated. Their characters are unique.î
The price for the 60 tickets available for each show is $12. They can be purchased in the school's front office or at The Leg Man.
"It is off the wall but not completely random. It has a theme to it."Rob Burton, drama teacher
