Le Sanctuaire des âmes ordinaires

On a sweltering autumn night, as wildfires rage across the land and the sky glows orange, a teenage girl aged sixteen and three-quarters struggles with anxiety and insomnia. Every night, she escapes to a deserted park that she gradually comes to see as her refuge. But one evening, her solitude is broken by an unusual encounter with a strange oracle living in this mysterious place, together with an equally enigmatic friend.

She discovers, through her experiences, that the park is, in fact, a magical sanctuary serving as a passageway for the souls of the deceased. Inspired by the stories shared by those who have left the world of the living, she sets out on a coming-of-age quest through multiple cultures and worldviews. Her journey will profoundly challenge her understanding of death, empathy, and compassion, ultimately rekindling hope—something she thought she had lost forever.

Through the poetic language of puppetry, shadow theatre, illusion, and video, Le Sanctuaire des âmes ordinaires (The Sanctuary for Simple Souls) tells the story of a teenage girl’s philosophical quest.

Running time: 70 minutes

Technique: Hand-held puppets

Audience: All audiences, 12 years +

In French

A Casteliers and Théâtre Outremont co-presentation.

Video

Photos

Photos: W. V. Saumur © MAEGA Prod

Company

Founded at the turn of the 21st century, Motus celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2021. The company has produced nineteen original works for young audiences and has performed them at the regional, national, and international levels—with more than 2,200 performances in Canada, China, the United States, Mexico, Spain, France, Switzerland, Greece, Mali, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal. The company has reached and engaged with more than 435,000 spectators. Several of its shows have been performed in English and Spanish, and two shows have been performed in Mandarin, not to mention that the company has incorporated over 10 other languages into its works.

Motus has chosen puppetry as a creative medium because of how it offers freedom in terms of dramaturgy and stage direction, serving as a vehicle for emotions and a means of pushing the boundaries of artistic form. Co-artistic directors Hélène Ducharme and Mathilde Addy-Laird explore the possibilities of combining puppetry, acting, live music, shadow theatre (both black and in colour), and any other theatrical form that serves to enrich the art of puppetry.

www.theatremotus.com/

Credits

Story: Mathilde Addy-Laird

Stage direction: Mathilde Addy-Laird

Performance: Igor Ovadis, Robine Kaseka, Marie-Claude Labrecque

Scenography: Sophie El-Assaad

Puppets: Marie-Claude Labrecque

Music: Benoit Côté

Lighting: Valérie Bourque

Lighting integration: Gabriel Duquette

Video: William V. Saumur

This creation was made possible thanks to the residency program promoted by Parcours Cré’Ados, as well as residencies at the Théâtre de la Ville, Côté Scène, Maison de la culture Maisonneuve, and Collège Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes.