Event – Theater evening : Pyrame and Thisbé

Candlelit Theater Evening: Pyrame and Thisbé

As part of the commemorations marking the 400th anniversary of Théophile de Viau’s death, this famous Baroque play comes to life in the very heart of the gardens at Maison de Sylvie, a place steeped in his history: it was here, in this “Maison de Sylvie,” that this early 17th-century poet found refuge and inspiration, and that he named this pavilion in honor of the patron who welcomed him.

A candlelit theater performance under the starry sky, where ancient words are brought back to life in a timeless experience thanks to the Oghma theater company. The recitation in Old French reveals the text’s full musicality and power, while the performance unfolds a Caravaggesque interplay of light and shadow, where faces and bodies emerge from the twilight with striking intensity.

Adapted from an ancient myth recounted by Ovid, the play tells the tragic love story of two young lovers separated by the hatred of their families. Forced to speak to one another through a crack in a wall, Pyramus and Thisbe defy the prohibitions to be together, at the cost of a tragic fate. In this iconic work of Baroque theater, Théophile de Viau celebrates freedom, passion, and rebellion against imposed order, culminating in a final metamorphosis where love and nature merge.

An intimate and spellbinding tragedy, where love and freedom whisper to the night in an atmosphere that is both picturesque and deeply vivid. A unique experience in an enchanting setting, blending baroque recitation, period costumes, the beauty of language, and theatrical performance, illuminated solely by candlelight.

In partnership with the City of Chantilly.

Discover France Memoire’s feature on Théophile de Viau.

Listen to the episode of the Institut de France’s “L’envie de savoir” podcast dedicated to this work: “Pyrame and Thisbé” Podcast

A glimpse of this spellbinding play: