Philippe Quesne/Vivarium Studio L'Effet de Serge

"One of the most poignant theatrical works I've witnessed."—Village Voice

A hit at the Under The Radar festival in NYC, where it won an Obie Award, L'Effet de Serge is a delightful assemblage of the small but brilliant moments that make a performance—and a life—well worth the journey. A celebration and a very clever subversion of our desire for spectacle, Vivarium Studio's production delivers the goods as the screwball theatricality created by Philippe Quesne unfolds on stage.

You'll see Serge, the Buster Keaton-like main character (played by Gaëtan Vourc'h), as he precisely prepares and then presents a series of new shows that last only a couple of minutes in his living room for a few friends he invites over every Sunday night. To call these homespun productions understated is an understatement in itself, despite their reliance on special effects. But, at the same time, their cumulative impact reveals director Quesne's grander design and the absolute necessity of the creative impulse. As The Village Voice's reviewer summed up, "L'Effet de Serge somehow communicates the essence of theater itself. It demonstrates how the simplest object, the merest gesture, can produce wonder."

Note: There will be no seating after the performance begins.

The U.S. tour of L'Effet de Serge is made possible with support from Etant donnés: The French-American Fund for the Performing Arts, a program of FACE (French American Cultural Exchange).

Additional support is provided by Germain Motor Company and Pella Window & Door.