La marche à l`étoile, by the Chat Noir

english
La Marche à l’étoile, by the
Chat Noir (Black Cat) Shadow Theatre
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French Shadow
and Paper Theatres Room
La marche à l’étoile, coverage of the first performance of the lyrical play,
Chat Noir Shadow Theatre, 1890, Inv. (9)54.243
Le Chat Noir (The Black Cat): cabaret,
magazine... and theatre!
In 1882, Rodolphe Salis created a literary and artistic cafe in
Montmartre: The famous cabaret du Chat Noir, frequented by
the literary, artistic, intellectual, political and middle class elite
of the era.
A few months later, Salis created the journal du Chat Noir, a
satirical, creative and eclectic magazine aimed at boosting public
awareness of the cabaret, which met with resounding success. It
even provided the inspiration for a short-lived publication in Lyon
in 1892: Le Chat Noir lyonnais (see Inv. 971.4).
Salis developed a shadow theatre at the cabaret from 1886
onwards. About forty plays, of two distinctive types, were
performed there between 1886 and 1897: The satirical and lyrical
repertoire.
It was Rodolphe Salis who embodied the spirit of the cabaret: His
vigour and yarns cannot be dissociated from the plays which he
enjoyed commenting on in real time.
The symbol of the Chat Noir – big cat with piercing eyes - was
created by illustrator Théophile Steinlen in 1896 on the occasion
of a theatre tour.
The Première of La Marche à l’étoile
On 6 January 1890, the cabaret du Chat Noir, rue Victor-Massé,
in the 9th arrondissement (district) of Paris presents La marche
à l’étoile: It became the flagship of theatre productions, boasting
over 500 performances in Paris and on tour!
A century later, it was reconstituted in its original format as a
joint production between the Orsay Museum and the Museum
of Decorative Arts. On screen, the original paintings and zincs
by Henri Rivière against an original music score by Georges
Fragerolle. Jean Godement was the director and Patrick
Ladoucette the producer under the artistic guidance of Mariel
Oberthür. This reconstituted version is presented here on the
Place au spectacle projection circuit.
grey words: items that can be seen in this room
The Chat Noir
Celebration Room,
water colour,
Paul Merwart
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MARIONNETTES DU MONDE
You may find the notice boards of the museum rooms on our website,
at www.gadagne.musees.lyon.fr
La Marche à l’étoile,
english
by the Chat Noir (Black Cat) Shadow Theatre
These shadows are characters between 35 and 50cm high, cut out
from zinc, which ensures their rigidity and guarantees a marked,
expressive outline. The star that the characters are following is a
negative shadow, cut out against a black background.
A few years before the birth of cinematography, Rodolphe Salis
and Henri Rivière invented plays with animated images…
Mystery or mystic play
La Marche à l’étoile is a one-act play with ten scenes. It portrays
the gathering together of mankind on the announcement of
the birth of Jesus: Everyone – shepherds, fishermen, soldiers,
women, slaves or lepers – walk in a long procession following
a star shining brightly in the heavens above, up to the Worship
scene, which reunites them. This long nocturnal march is 9
minutes and 30 seconds long: The scenes follow on from each
other at the pace of the group effects with variations in scenery
or subtly coloured skies, culminating in the final scene where a
radiant sky announces the resurrection of Christ.
The religious leanings of the Chat Noir theatre, which is also
expressed in other plays, corresponds more to the spirituality and
religious beliefs disseminated in the late 19th c. than to renewed
Catholicism.
The poetic Marche à l’étoile is a typical lyrical Shadow play.
A cutting edge technique…
grey words: items that can be seen in this room
The Chat Noir Theatre adopts a complex technique and stage
direction invented and developed by Henri Rivière, who soon
became the master of shadow theatre. His various talents as
both an artist (painter, illustrator, engraver and lithographer)
and inventor (mechanic, physician and chemist) are behind the
aesthetically pleasing and technical brilliance of Chat Noir.
A theatre more than 10m high is concealed behind a stage
measuring 1m2 at the sides! Right at the heart of the production,
the light from a blowtorch illuminates the screen from a distance
of 3m. But, prior to this, it crosses through the more complex
combinations of coloured glass, which bestow the scenes with
their unique atmosphere. A sliding channel with multiple grooves
also allows the rotation of two-way mirrors depicting skies and
landscapes: some plays use up to 150 mirrors and 12 stage
hands!
… combined with masterpieces!
The Chat Noir shadow theatre maintains close links with various
art forms. Apart from the involvement of composers for each
play, the creation of shadows and scenery – and displays! - it
arranges drawing and painting, involving artists such as Henri
Rivière, Caran d’Ache, Louis Morin or Ferdinand Fau. Literature
is no stranger to this theatre either since original texts or poems
are frequently presented: Wealth in the image of the cabaret’s
artistic melting.
The triumphant Chat noir tours
The Chat noir shadow theatre was so successful that Rodolphe
Salis and his troupe travelled the length and breadth of France
from December 1891 onwards, giving numerous performances in
the provinces – especially in Lyon in 1892 at the Théâtre Bellecour
- as well as abroad (in Belgium, Turkey, Algeria, Switzerland and
Russia). Rodolphe Salis would constantly stay informed of the
latest local news and snippets of gossip, which he took pleasure in
circulating regardless of the unpleasant comments made during
the shows!
In 1897, the cabaret did not survive the disappearance of its
creator.
The Chat Noir shadow plays were then taken up by several
theatres and tours in the early 20th c., but disappeared with the
First World War.
The new theater
Bellecour in Lyons,
frontage of the entry,
drawing of Mr. Scott,
according to the sketches
of Felix Régamey
In the wings, a system of levels enable stage hands, musicians
and creators of unusual special effects to coexist, side by side,
allowing shadows of characters and scenery mounted on wooden
chassis to finally glide along the screen, always from right to left,
and from different angles, thus creating the effects at depth.
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MARIONNETTES DU MONDE
You may find the notice boards of the museum rooms on our website,
at www.gadagne.musees.lyon.fr
V. Bonfils / D. Miège / P. Gausset / photo credits: muséeCarnavalet ©musées Gadagne
The Lepers, 4th scene in La Marche à l’étoile, design by Henri Rivière