Presents its show

Door No. 3F, Nikunjam Towers, Jawahar Nagar, Kowdiar-PO
Thiruvananthapuram– 695003,
Kerala, India
Françoise Calvel : 9 567 421 039/ [email protected]
Eric Dujoncquoy : 999 56 777 95/ [email protected]
http://www.layam-events.com
Presents its show
« Layam Cultural Events and Training Pvt Ltd »
" Layam Cultural Events and Training Pvt Ltd " is an Indian company created in 2010 by
Françoise Calvel and Eric Dujoncquoy who reside in Trivandrum since the end of 2007.
"Layam" means "fusion" in malayalam, the company thus wishes to integrate the West and the East,
both in the artistic as well as cultural realm.
With the strength of 24 years of experience, in the West in the field of the live performance,
Françoise multitasks within the company as performer, director, professor of theater as well as
creator of events.
Eric an experienced director of summer camps is also now bursar ie: he ably manages the
accounting and logistic part of the company.
"Layam" intervenes in several schools of Trivandrum today to instruct children on the
wonders of theater.
Françoise also organizes regular professional artistic internship training courses with French
nationals eager to learn the traditional arts such as Kathakali, Mohini Attam, Kûttyattam,
Kalaripayat, carnatic music, tâblas, Nagaswaram etc.Their main aim being to discover these
traditional arts, and to alleviate them to an international audience.
Françoise and Eric do constantly meet, listen and collaborate with artists and local
craftsmen, to sincerely create a "fusion" and a new vision in the international artistic arena.
Their "meetings" with India became a determining one in 2003, for Françoise during a
professional training course in the art form of Kathakali, and for Eric after more than a month
of travel.
Since Françoise specialized in Commedia dell'arte in France, she gravitated to the
traditional arts of South India and the beginning of 2009, saw the birth of a creative
association known as " Paalam, Inde~France ", which organizes training courses for ayurvedic
massages, carnatic music, theater or dance of India, for French-speaking professionals, as well
as tailor-made travels in Kerala.
In 2009 "Paalam, Inde~France" was renamed as "Sarasvati India".
The company now had a broader outreach into the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Then came another venture of the same then Company " Layam Cultural Events and
training Pvt Ltd ": to link with " Sarasvati India ", which had by 2009 received the official
recognition of the French government as a cultural training institution.
From 2011 Françoise has been successfully conducting workshops on theater in
Trivandrum, for children, teenagers and adults.
« Once upon a time… » : The Direction
The choice to create a family show as the first professional show in India, aimed at both children
and for their parents, has been an amazing experience for Françoise Calvel. Right from the birth of the
concept and the gruelling practices that followed Françoise has derived immense pleasure from this whole
enterprise.
The story of "Once upon a time…" is a very free adaptation of the well known and well loved tale of
" The Sleeping Beauty ".
However, even if the story and the frame are identical, the characters, themselves, are completely
original. Freely inspired by the characters of the Commedia dell'arte courtesy Françoise Calvel. The heroes
turn into anti-heroes, with their vices and their virtues and hold up an effective mirror to the spectators.
The text is completely created in English to be more easily produced in India, and to allow Indian
performers the freedom to interpret it to suit their individual artistic capabilities.
The techniques of theater used here are: the mask of the Commedia dell'arte, the clown, the
puppet, the shadow play, the dressed up play, the martial art of kalaripayat , the pantomime and the music.
There are two performers on the set who interpret 14 characters!
Both performers worked with a master of Kalaripayat to settle the various fights, and the whole
show use a musical directory vibrant with a very wide selection of classical international contemporary
music.
The music of " Once upon a time " is an integral part of the creation of the text, it gives rhythm to
the show, supports the feelings and highlights the dramatic play.
Costumes are entirely created for the show, in correspondence with certain puppets, conceived
specifically for the event.
The direction is filled with color, cheer and rhythm, so that the spectator is captivated by the story and
his imagination reigns to arrest perhaps fleetingly the reality around him!!
The performers
Françoise Calvel took to professional shows in 1988, in Strasbourg, after a sound training from 1981 in drama,
at the Conservatory of Strasbourg, TJP and A. R.T.U.S. (university troupe).
Since then she has continued to develop the work of mask, clown, physical expression, contemporary
dance, the Commedia dell'arte, theatrical fencing and Kathakali.
She also has a rich experience since 1995 as a co-coordinator for events abroad in countries such as:
Bulgaria, Crete, Dominican Republic, and Sri Lanka.
She has worked as an actor and director with "Confluence Théâtre," "Les Comédiens Associés", "Pois de
Senteur", "Pirouette Circus" in classical performances for children, street theatre, and aisles touring
throughout France.
With the Company "A Contre Jour" from 1996 to 2006, she starred in the theater forum, staged
performances of Commedia dell'arte, and doubled up as director and writer in the schools.
She shows children playing with "Le Petit Chêne Théâtre" from 2002 to 2006, touring throughout France.
She created the Company “Vaguedivague" in 2000 to develop relations and multi artistic networking
artistic interventions with young people and children.
Abhija Sivakala has a degree in applied arts from the College of Fine Arts Trivandrum. In 2002,
she began her career as an animator at Amrita Viswa designer VidyaPeetam, Coimbatore and
Bangalore as an animator graphic designer until 2009.
She studied Indian classical dance Kathak, Odissi, Indian folk dances and contemporary dance.
In 2010, she worked with the Centre for Research in the Company "Abhinaya" to act in their
play Macbeth, for the lead role of Lady Macbeth. She has also worked with Elias Cohen, Chilean
director in various projects in particular "Las Indias".
She continues to train regularly in theater arts and dance with theater professionals. She still
works with the company "Abhinaya".
"Invisible Cities" and "Pacha" are the latest creations staged by them. Both these were staged
all over Kerala.
Master of fight
Ajith Kumar began his training in Kalaripayat at the age of 10 under the guidance of his father, Assan
Thankappan, grand master and creator of Kalaripayat training center "Maruti Marma Kalari Sangham
Chikilsa” and created in 1957, and today directed by Ajith Kumar.
Ajith Kumar is declared Champion of Kalaripayat in state of Kerala from 1983 to 1993.
In 1993 he received a prestigious award of "Marma Thirumu Dekshina Kerala Kalarippayattu" and the
same year he worked for the theater company “Milon Mela”, directed by Abani Biswas, and toured in
Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Austria and France.
In 2000 he was invited to Valladolid, Spain, to participate in the First International Meeting of the
Asian martial arts and in 2001 he performed in Paris, at “La Villette Festival Latitudes” and also in Rome
Summer Festival.
For over 15 years he taught his knowledge to many artists both Indian and Western. His approach to
teaching is already a fusion of East and West, due to his many travels around the world.
Sets and Costumes
Creating sets and costumes were made by Abhija Sivakala and Françoise Calvel.
And implementation was entrusted to professionals Trivandrum craftsmen:
carpenters, tailors, printers.
The costumes are meant strong colors, full of tricks, and echoing the different
characters.
The style is a basic costume of the eighteenth century, with modern anachronisms
that lend the characters certain timelessness.
This costume idea is widely used today in performances of Commedia dell'arte, so
that “yesterday" fades in to "today", without unnecessarily creating, a fantasy setting.
In scenes where shades of Fantasy are essentially "black and white” is used to
activate this effect.
Technical and information for the performance
Technical Requirements:
- Minimum stage size: 6 meters x 7 meters and 2.20 high. Ground floor Hall or Theatre : NO STAIRS.
- Technology Park: sounds, lights and stage curtains are provided by Layam.
- Two people to help carry the sets, because only 2 ladies performers for Layam team.
- Minimum installation time: 3 hours, and dismantling time: about 2 hour.
- Running time of the show: 1:00
- Ability public: 300 people per performance, and 2 shows per day maximum.
Additional charges:
- Cost Routing: the sets up to 100 km from Trivandrum will travel by train: 1 large wooden box with rolls (1.20 m x 0.70 m x 0.70 m) + 1 flight box with rolls (1 m x 1m x 0.40 m) + 2
cover 2 m long + 1 cover 1 m long + 4 metal box (1 m x 0.40 m x 0.40 m and 1m x 0.50m x 0.50m ).
- Cost Routing: the sets below to 100 km from Trivandrum will travel by minibus. The cost will be Rs 80/km.
- Travel expenses: Françoise Calvel and Abhija Sivakala will travel by plane for a distance greater than 300 km (if airport near the place), or by train for a distance less than 300
km. And below 100 km from Trivandrum, they will travel with the minibus.
- Restoration costs, and accommodation for 2 people, following venues, dates and numbers representation, in case.
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