From and directed by Laura Mariani. With Pauline Cassan, Anthony Binet, Sylvain Porcher, Odile Lavie, Alice Suquet and Vincent Remoissenet. At Theater 11 To 16h40 of July 7 to 29 (break on Thursdays).
It was while leading a theater workshop for people with disabilities (autism and trisomy 21) that Laura Mariani had the idea of writing a play on the subject. Having at the time reflected on the norms that separated her from her beneficiaries and where she was the one who was not the norm, she had the desire to blur the perceptions of the spectators in The day I realized the sky was blue. A way of making the public experience the inversion of norms that she had experienced during these workshops.
The main character is called Claire who lives with her brother because her different attitude and behavior prevent her from being independent. His only obsession is singing and especially participating in the talent scout show To Be a Star. One day, the neighbor breaks into the apartment while his brother is away and tries to hug him against his will. Panicking, Claire reacts violently and smashes a huge ashtray on his head with all her might. Which plunges him into a coma, between life and death. Claire is then interned in a psychiatric hospital pending her trial which will decide if she is responsible for her actions. Whether she is a victim or a culprit. She was quickly diagnosed with autism and mental retardation.
Let’s not beat around the bush any longer, The day I realized the sky was blue is a theatrical nugget. Everything is done with success whether it’s the interpretation, the text or the scenography and the lights. The first thing that strikes us is Pauline Cassan’s interpretation of Claire, which is stunningly realistic. Could it really be an actress with this disability? It will be necessary to wait for the end and the meeting of the actress who is no longer in her character to be convinced. The character of the brother created by Anthony Binet is also very touching and allows the spectators to feel all the empathy for the situations described in the play: the police interrogations, the psychiatric reports, Claire’s fears, etc. But all this is possible thanks to everything that surrounds them: a magnificent text and story, a superb play of light (remember the yellow lights which are important) and impeccable decorations. It is made up of three very distinct areas: Claire’s bedroom, which symbolizes her imagination and her mental space; the office of the police, the psychiatrist, the lawyer who symbolizes the real; the corridor of the hospital where the protagonists wait and which symbolize wandering, questioning and doubts (the blinds which separate this area from the others are really well thought out).
Finally, The day I realized the sky was blue is often funny, always moving and it’s hard to applaud wildly as soon as the light goes out, still under the emotion of the 70 minutes we’ve just experienced.
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