To make an artist for one of Cirque’s productions, it takes a talented individual who is open to new experiences – and veterans who can guide the way through those new experiences. Cirque du Soleil has assembled some of the most well-known and respected collaborators in their fields – coaches, choreographers, creators, composers and others – to help our artists achieve their goals. And through a series of interviews on their casting website, we meet some of them. Like the “Meet the Artist” series of Q&A’s we recently published, the “Meet a Mentor” set are equally fascinating reads – even more so! We’ve collected all 11 mentor interviews for you to peruse in this series, which, due to the page count, we’ll publish in three parts. Last month, in Part One, we met: André Simard (Acrobatic Research and Development), Bernard Petiot (Vice President, Casting and Performance), and Boris Verkhovsky (Director of Acrobatics and Coaching). And now we’ll continue with Claude Chaput (Conductor, Composer, and Arranger), David Shiner (Director and Clown), Dominic Champagne (Director), and Francois Girard (Director).
PART TWO
CLAUDE CHAPUT
Conductor, Composer and Arranger
“At a time when industry trends are moving toward homogeneity, the music of Cirque du Soleil allows us to break free from traditional forms and styles.”
I started learning to play the piano very early on, at the age of four. Supported by a family that encouraged the arts, I decided to devote my life to music when I was just a teenager. For about 20 years, I worked as an accompanist, arranger and conductor for renowned performers, both onstage and in the studio. At the same time, I developed a marked interest in audio and MIDI technologies, which turned out to be a major asset in the career I had chosen. I believe that all those strengths led me quite naturally to Cirque du Soleil in 1994, when Composer René Dupéré was looking for a conductor for the show Alegría.
A CAREER TURN WITH POSITIVE RESULTS
It was the first time I had ever signed on for so long a run: over 600 shows in two years. Obviously, such a long engagement makes it possible to become highly skilled at interpreting the music and provides greater insight into the world of the performing arts.
Encountering musicians from different cultures and musical backgrounds was also highly formative, both musically and in terms of interpersonal relations. At the same time we faced the constant challenge of adapting the music to the action onstage while maintaining the music’s consistency and thereby our own relevance for spectators.
At the time, I had the feeling I was practicing my craft as I never had before, which made me want to try my hand at a new creation. I therefore offered my services to Composer Benoit Jutras, with whom I took on Quidam and another North American tour, this one involving 1,000 performances over a three-year period. I introduced a brand new technology (MIDI) on Quidam which allowed us to modify the music in real time using pre-recorded material. Since 1999, I have had a hand in many productions as a music and technology consultant, and I am involved in a number of Cirque du Soleil shows in creation along with a few projects for Casting.
THE URGE TO CREATE AND GO WHERE NO ONE HAS DARED GO BEFORE
I believe that Cirque du Soleil has brought the performing arts to a whole new level, to another dimension, to a place ruled by dreams and the subconscious. In that respect, there is a perfect compatibility with the essence of the musical universe. And at a time when industry trends are moving toward homogeneity, the music of Cirque du Soleil allows us to break free from traditional forms and styles.
That’s why eclecticism and open-mindedness are important qualities for candidates who already meet basic criteria such as an impeccable sense of rhythm, a precise musical vocabulary and the ability to memorize scores. We should also mention the ability to react quickly to any last-minute changes while maintaining the quality of their performance. It’s important for every musician to be able to extrapolate in situations where one section has to be drawn out, for example, or where another has to be drastically cut short with just a few measures’ warning.
During the show creation period, the conductor, musicians and singers give the composition a sound, a personality, through their interpretation and their own innovations, which often inspire the entire production team. Clearly, everyone’s creative contribution can make a huge difference to the final outcome for a show of this scale. But we must not lose sight of the fact that there is a composer who is responsible for developing the overall vision, and that he leaves it primarily to the conductor to ensure the musical style is consistent throughout the show.
At Cirque du Soleil, more than anywhere else, team spirit, professionalism and respect for the work of others are essential qualities for taking full advantage of this one-of-a-kind experience.
DAVID SHINER
Director and Clown
David Shiner started out as a street mime in Paris and his career really took off in 1984 when he was discovered at the renowned circus festival Cirque de Demain. He went on to perform with a succession of well-known companies including the German troupe Circus Roncalli and the Swiss National company Circus Knie. Between circus engagements he toured with Cirque du Soleil veteran René Bazinet performing the two-men show they created.
David ‘ s first formal association with Cirque du Soleil came in 1990, when he co-wrote and performed in Nouvelle Expérience, touring for 19 months throughout Canada and the USA. He made his feature film debut in 1992, playing the part of a clown in Lorenzo’s Oil, and the following year he played straight man to Bill Irwin in Sam Shepard ‘ s Silent Tongue. He and Irwin then created the two-men, wordless show Fool Moon, featuring music by the Red Clay Ramblers, who had also performed in Silent Tongue. This evening of ‘ inspired lunacy ‘ ran from 1993 to 2001, including three separate runs on Broadway. Fool Moon won a special Tony Award for Live Theatrical Presentation in 1999, a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, and an Outer Critics Circle Special Achievement Award.
In 2000 David originated the role of the Cat in the Hat, the host and guide of the Broadway stage musical Seussical. Later he toured Europe and Seattle with his show “David Shiner in the Round”. David has further made several appearances on “The Tonight Show” and is a guest director at the Wintergarden Theatre in Berlin and the Apollo Theatre in Dusseldorf.
In 2007, David wrote and directed Cirque du Soleil’s touring show KOOZA.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH WITH THE CLOWNS ON CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PROJECTS YOU HAVE TAKEN PART IN?
I try to find people who are talented, funny, interesting in the way they move, who have interesting faces and I help them develop their potential. I teach them things like ‘pointe fixe’, how to develop a character, how to develop a really good sense of rhythm and timing, how to improvise with an audience, etc. I give the clowns I work with a lot of the basic things that I learned over the last 25 years. People are born clowns usually, it’s not something you can study to learn. You can learn certain techniques, but you’re either funny or not funny. So I always try to find people who have something funny about them. If they’re funny, there’s got to be a way to take that funniness and make it work for them. So I’m not always looking for someone who has great technique or great movement abilities or great slapstick abilities. I’m just looking for someone who’s funny. From there we can start to teach them the techniques. All the different styles of clowning (Russian, American, European) can work, but we have to make them modern for a modern audience.
Q. WHAT DO YOU FIND CHALLENGING AND STIMULATING ABOUT WORKING WITH CLOWNS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS?
Giving them all my knowledge. As a mentor, I’m there to help them learn the stuff fast. If I look back at my career, I wish I’d had a mentor, but I learned on my own. I help them find a style. What makes you funny? What’s going to make you distinct from another clown? I teach the clowns the importance of using the body, of communicating without language. Because someone who learns how to extend their energy and access their creative core can walk on a stage, do very little and be very interesting to watch.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PHILOSOPHY?
As a director or as a mentor, trying to help people discover their own source of inspiration and creativity. To help them get out of their head, get into their body and get into their breath. To learn to trust themselves, trust their ideas, to believe in themselves, to have confidence. To help them celebrate the joy of performing; the pure sense of joy out of being on a stage and performing for an audience. Respecting yourself, respecting the other performers, learning to give, and give, and give, and to make an audience happy. And most of all, to know who you are: to find out who you are as an artist, what your message is, why you are there. Once you know that, the rest is easy.
Q. WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK CLOWNS PLAY IN CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SHOWS?
Principal. Without a clown in a circus, there’s no circus.
Q. HOW DO THE ART OF CLOWNING AND CIRQUE DU SOLEIL MIX TOGETHER?
Cirque has a great tradition of always having good clowns. The place they hold in a show depends on the director. As a director, since I am a clown, the clown has a principal role. He’s the character who’s taking us through the evening. The clown is the one who has the deepest emotional connection with the audience. All the artists have a deep emotional connection with the audience, but the clown really gives us a sense of our humanity, because he’s a fool, he’s playing the role of a fool. He’s revealing our human weakness and he’s allowing us to laugh at ourselves. Great clowns have always been loved, because they allow us to laugh at those parts of ourselves we’re the most afraid or ashamed of. The clown helps us to accept ourselves, as who we are.
DOMINIC CHAMPAGNE
Director
Over the last 20 years, Dominic Champagne, multi-talented and prolific artist, playwright, director, scriptwriter and actor, as well as the co-founder and artistic director of the Théâtre Il Va Sans Dire, has made his mark on a hundred or more shows, both on stage and on television. These include theatrical productions such as LOVE, L’Odyssée (The Odyssey), Don Quichotte (Don Quixote), Cabaret Neiges Noires (Black Snow Cabaret) and La Cité Interdite (The Forbidden City) as well as television series “Les Grands Procès” (“The Great Court Cases”) and “Le Plaisir croît avec l’usage“ (“Familiarity Breeds Enjoyment”).
For Cirque du Soleil, in addition to LOVE, created in collaboration with the Beatles in 2006, he has directed Varekai, on tour the world over since 2002, and Zumanity,showing in Las Vegas since 2003. With regard to television, as well as adapting several of his own plays, Dominic has worked on several drama series and variety shows, including “Les grands procès,” “Le plaisir croît avec l’usage,” Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day celebrations, the opening ceremonies of the Francophone Games, “Tous unis contre le SIDA” (“United Against AIDS”), the “Soirée des Masques” theatre awards gala, and more.
Since graduating from the National Theatre School of Canada, he has won a host of awards and honours for his work, including the Order of Canada, Gémeau awards (for best direction and best dramatic writing), Masque awards for best adaptation and audience appreciation, the Critics’ Prize, as well as the Montreal Urban Community’s Grand Prize for theatre. The CD of LOVE, which he worked on, received two Grammy Awards, including the award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album.
He is a member of several arts-based think-tanks, associations and boards of directors. He has also taught and lectured, in particular at the National Theatre School , the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal, Concordia University , Princeton University and elsewhere.
La Presse newspaper and Radio-Canada recognized Dominic Champagne’s “immense talent” when they named him “Personality of the Year 2006.”
Q. WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH WITH THE ACTORS WHEN WORKING ON CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PROJECTS?
I begin creating my shows by trying to explain the plot of a story or the procedure of a ritual to myself. The narrative thread of this plot or procedure becomes my beacon, and the characters who play in it are my guides. Therefore, the actors are the key to this new universe waiting to be created.
Q. WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING ASPECT OF WORKING WITH ACTORS FROM DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE AND CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?
The stage at Cirque du Soleil is a meeting place for different cultures and traditions. Mixing and combining different talents from different backgrounds creates an infinitely rich tapestry. It is a place that is full of both surprises and new experiences, but it also gives you the privileged challenge to become a true citizen of the world. And the stage becomes the ship that sails through a fabulous human odyssey.
Q. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE PHILOSOPHY?
I gather artists around my idea for a show, which is a sort of utopia to which we all try to give the very best of ourselves; I want to enchant people with the power of this dream and inspire us all to become better human beings. I see devoting oneself to a show as both a duty and a privilege. And there’s nothing like giving it your best shot.
Q. HOW DO YOU SEE THE ROLE PLAYED BY ACTORS AT CIRQUE DU SOLIEL?
When an actor, through his very presence and sensitive interpretation, manages to deliver as strong a performance as an acrobat, he becomes the dazzling link in the audience’s relationship with the impossible utopia and the power of the larger-than-life story unfolding on stage.
Q. WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST STIMULATING ABOUT WORKING FOR OR WITH CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
The dream’s endless possibilities. The privilege of being at the heart of so many crossroads. The thought of a vast audience demanding a universal language and… perfection!
Q. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A FUTURE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ACTOR?
Creating a role at Cirque du Soleil is similar to climbing Mount Everest. It’s a colossal challenge, an intoxicating journey, a glimpse of new and boundless horizons, a feeling of pride and satisfaction on the same scale as the heroic efforts you put into it. But the journey has to be made one step at a time; the real feeling of vertigo comes when you look deep inside yourself to let your talent shine through. So… be yourself and have fun!
FRANÇOIS GIRARD
Director
François Girard’s career began with directing art videos. His output then became increasingly narrative and in time led to full-length features (Thirty-two Short Films about Glenn Gould, The Red Violin, Silk). Theatre, opera and now Cirque du Soleil have joined the list. “Like Cirque, I like to mix media, but my work has remained essentially the same: I try to rally artists around an idea and present the results to the public.”
As stage director, François is currently working on the creation of a resident show to be presented in Tokyo starting in fall 2008.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH WITH THE ACTORS WORKING ON CIRQUE PROJECTS?
Whether with Cirque du Soleil or elsewhere, my approach is always the same: I ask myself who they are, how they work and what stimulates them. But the method differs with every artist, every singer, and so on. It is the stage director who needs to adapt to the performer, not the other way around.
Q. WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING ASPECT OF WORKING WITH ACTORS WHO COME FROM DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE AND HAVE DIFFERENT ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?
I am used to working with artists from everywhere. I find it fascinating to see the many ways people can learn a trade, absorbing so many different methods and influences. In that respect, I am well prepared for a Cirque production.
Q. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE PHILOSOPHY?
I like to start with an idea, a text, or a character that I then serve. I try to be a gardener who plants a seed and helps it grow with water and light. I can let the seed become a tree but I can’t decide what that tree will be. All that is encoded in the seed. All you need to do is dig a little before eventually seeing the light. That’s about it…
Q. HOW DO YOU SEE THE ROLE PLAYED BY ACTORS AND THE ROLE OF ACTING IN CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
Cirque’s greatest success can be attributed to a meeting of acrobatics and dramatics. Who are the actors? Who are the acrobats? What is their contribution? In my show, I try to blur the line as much as possible so that we are left unsure of who is who and who contributed to what. This is one lesson that I learned from Franco Dragone’s shows.
Q. WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST STIMULATING ABOUT WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
The sense of celebration; the public’s expectation of a magical adventure; working in Japan, a country that I love, amid a culture I find most stimulating.
Stay tuned for the final piece of this series next month! We’ll hear from Laur Fugere (Singer & Stage Coach), Luc Tremblay (Choreographer and Educator), Mia Michaels (Choreographer), and Robert Lepage (Director).
