Philippe Quesne/Vivarium Studio: L'Effet de Serge

“L’Effet de Serge . . . communicates the essence of theater itself. It demonstrates how the simplest object, the merest gesture, can produce wonder.” —Village Voice

Sundays are a high point for Serge. That’s when this reserved, socially awkward character invites
friends to his sparsely furnished apartment for concocted microperformances in which he brings toys and assorted odds and ends to life before their eyes. Homing in on the singular magic of live performance, L’Effet de Serge is a surprisingly humorous and touching tribute to the pleasures and the necessity of art. This deceptively bare-bones production was conceived, directed, and designed by Philippe Quesne and his “theatrical laboratory,” the Vivarium Studio in Paris. Noted for works that playfully question society—and always incorporate a smoke machine—Quesne uncovers the sublime moments hidden in everyday life, addressing big themes in small, endearingly odd ways.