“If a poem hasn't ripped apart your soul; you haven't experienced poetry.” E.A. Poe

“Si un poème n’a pas déchiré votre âme, vous n’avez pas connu la poésie. ”

 Lundi 7 avril les élèves de première suivant l’enseignement de spécialité LLCER anglais se sont rendus à Altigone, St Orens pour voir la représentation de Poe’s Dark Verses. Cette pièce d'une heure et dix minutes mettait en scène des récits emblématiques comme The Tell-Tale Heart et The Fall of the House of Usher que les élèves avaient étudiés en classe, ainsi que de célèbres poèmes, notamment The Raven et Annabel Lee.

Cette performance immersive en langue originale a permis aux élèves d’appréhender l’écriture ciselée de Poe et ses effets sonores dans une atmosphère gothique intemporelle, tout en les invitant à réfléchir à la nature de la folie, l'amour et la mortalité humaine.

Après la représentation, un débat avec les comédien.ne.s et la jeune metteuse en scène leur a permis de partager des réflexions et ressentis autour du spectacle et une citation de l’auteur. 

Les élèves se sont volontiers laissés transporter dans cet univers d’inquiétante étrangeté, voici quelques-uns de leurs témoignages ci-dessous :

I thought it would be a random boring play, but actually I really enjoyed this remarkable experience. The actors are so expressive, with sharp British and American accents, and they also switched between characters so smoothly. ★★⁠★★ Mariam

Poe's Dark Verses is a beautifully executed representation of Edgar Allan Poe's art. It perfectly captures the Gothic atmosphere of the short stories and poems. I was impressed by the comedians' ability to switch from one character to another so quickly. I loved discovering the different interpretations that they had, as well as new stories that I hadn't read before. Camille ★★⁠★★

This performance is a true homage to Poe's writing and his own style, the pessimism and the dark aesthetics is well rendered on stage. Their perfect accent heightens the emotions of the audience. Arno

It was fun, the actors were very expressive. I was impressed by the woman's acting in the Tell-Tale Heart and in Annabel Lee. I truly enjoyed this show.
Andréa ⁠ ★★⁠★☆

I really enjoyed spending time watching this play. I was really impressed by the acting of the actors and their ability to change roles in 5 seconds. It was surprising to see some of the interpretations, especially the gender of the main character in The Tell-Tale Heart, where I imagined a man instead of a woman, but this choice is meaningful and I really liked it. While listening to the expressive delivery of the actors, I was able to better understand the meaning of the poems and stories, as well as hearing the alliterations. Anastasiia ★ ★ ★ ★

I have to say that the interpretation of The Tell-Tale Heart was my favorite--you could tell the comedian was skilled, she really managed to accurately play a mad character without it feeling weird. The transitions between the different works were well done! It didn't feel too long or dull. Overall great adaptations. Yasemin ★★⁠★★ 

C. Chammard, L. Hélardot