In 2019, I put together a solo show, a kind of one-woman cabaret: "Ma Voie·x" (a play on the French words “ma voie”, which means “my way”, and “ma voix”, which means “my voice”). This show tells the story of my life, from childhood to today, and how I learned to tame my voice... and in the process, found my way. I performed it once at the MJC in Crépy en Valois, where I was in residence, but then time went on, and I procrastinated doing anything more with it (one of the songs I wrote for the play is actually called "My problem is procrastination"!).
In 2020, COVID fell upon us, putting the project on hold for good... until last weekend, more than 4 years later! It has to be said that the creation of Eat the Cake Studio had kept me quite busy. And it was through Eat the Cake Studio that I decided to relaunch the project, taking the opportunity to add even more interactivity and immersion.
Last spring, I asked Lionel, director of the MJC and unwavering supporter of all artists in the region, to reprogram my show. As always, he was immediately on board, but wanted me to extend the show with a lecture or workshop. This was perfect : since this is one of the two pillars of my show, I was already planning on creating a workshop on the theme of "finding one's way", to help anyone who wanted it, whether it be young people in second-chance centers, job-seekers, prison inmates or people undergoing a change of career. This workshop fits in perfectly with the "Education and Enrichment" branch of Eat the Cake, which encompasses all projects aimed at having a positive influence on the world in social and ecological terms.
In no time at all, Ma Voie·x and its workshop were scheduled to take place over two dates in December. A deadline was exactly what I needed to finally bring this project to fruition!
Now all that remained was to rework the show and create the workshop. Fortunately, I had the help of my teammates, as wonderful as they are creative... which didn't stop me from leaving most of the work until the last minute; procrastination be damned!
Drawing on our expertise in the creation of immersive experiences and training, we added a healthy dose of interactivity to the show, inviting the audience to dance, draw and sing with me, and using food and scents to immerse them in my memories. The workshop, meanwhile, encourages participants to look back on their childhood dreams and to cross-reference the values associated with them with their current aptitudes, to help them discover or rediscover their path... or simply reinforce their choices!
My teammates traveled from far and wide to support and help me during the workshop's dress rehearsal and playtest, to which I also invited a small group of jobseekers who had just participated in my latest "Self-Affirmation through the Immersive Arts” workshop.
Whether at the dress rehearsal or at the two performances, I got a lot of positive feedback, the spectators played along and the workshop gave rise to wonderful moments of sharing and fascinating insights. And I was able to take advantage of the audience's feedback and suggestions to further improve the performance and take the sharing and immersion even further!
Ma Voie·x and its workshop are now ready to be performed all over France, in theaters and other venues. If you or someone you know is interested in having this project performed in your home, don't hesitate to contact Eat The Cake Studio!
One of the drawings the participants drew of me while I posed naked, one of the most memorable moments for a lot of people.