Theatre Festivals: Avignon Festival
Avignon Festival – the festival, founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar (who had been thee director of the festival until 1971) and held each year in the city of Avignon.
The stage on which performances are held, is an open scaffolding at the back of the former Papal Palace, the courtyard itself is the audience hall. Presentations are held in the open air, there are no curtains and sceneries.
Festivals in Avignon attract large numbers of tourists.
Top performances
The following performances were shown among many others as part of the Avignon festival in different years:
* 1967: Messe pour le temps présent / the Mass for the present day, a ballet by Maurice Bejart
* 1976: Einstein on the Beach / Einstein on the beach, Philip Glass’s opera staged by Robert Wilson
* 1980: Saint Matthew Passion / St. Matthew Passion, a ballet by John Neumeier to the music of Bach
* 1983: Nelken / Carnation, ballet by Pina Bausch
* 1987: Le Soulier de Satin / Satin Slipper, Paul Claudel’s drama directed by Antoine Vitez
* 1988: Das Wintermärchen / Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s drama directed by Luc Bondy
* 2001: “Polonaise Farewell”, a drama by Nicholas Kalyada
* 2002: noBody, Sasha Walt’s Ballet
* 2002: Mahabharata / a play by Peter Brook
* 2004: Woyzeck / Georg Buchner’s drama directed by Thomas Ostermeier
* 2005: L’histoire des larmes / History of Tears, the performance by Jan Fabre
* 2006: Asobu, ballet by Joseph Naja, Paso Doble, ballet by Joseph Naja and Miguel Barcelo
* 2007: Gorky’s “The Barbarians”, play by Eric Lakaskada