Inspiration
Bonlieu National Theater
The 2024-2025 season opening has arrived!
Membership signups, a local ritual
Every year, on the night of August 30-31, a strange phenomenon occurs.
A ceremony turned into a ritual for Bonlieu National Theater regulars who, at nightfall, grab their sleeping bags, folding chairs, thermoses, and even cots. They all come in hopes of taking home the one-and-only coveted prize: membership and season tickets for Bonlieu National Theater.
While online registration is possible, starting at 14:00 (instead of 09:00 at the box office), none of these diehards, who simply love theater, music, and culture, would ever trade their place at this impromptu encampment. Doing so would in some way sour the overall experience.
In December 2023, Betrand Salanon took over as Director of Bonlieu National Theater. When he learned about this strange custom, he decided to immortalize the moment.
He contacted a local radio collective, Making Waves, and worked with them to make a podcast entitled, “Traverser la Nuit” (Through the Night), now available on Spotify. This series of short interviews compiles the impressions and experiences of these August 30th night owls, providing a few amazing on-the-spot anecdotes. Listening to the entire podcast almost makes us want to participate in the experience with this truly unique community in 2025.
“At Bonlieu, we can never get tickets”
A common misconception that staff at Bonlieu National Theater decided to remedy: while the number of shows remains the same as last season, the number of seats has considerably increased (12,000 extra tickets this year). This increase plays a key part in an overall approach to support the creative arts, to provide shows with a longer shelf life, and to reach a broader audience beyond the first few dates.
© Gwladys Gurtler
Catering specifically to youth and the local community
While Bertrand Salanon, who recently finished his tenure at Strasboug National Theater, sees himself in the artistic choices made by his predecessor, Salvador Garcia, he plans to explore new horizons by focusing on a program of shows made specifically for teens and young adults. This includes shows like La Tendresse by Julie Berès, Daddy by Marion Siéfert, Boîte Noire (“Black Box”) by Coline Garcia, as well as Radio Live Vivantes by Aurélie Charon and Amélie Bonnin.
With a lively program of shows, from plays, to dance and musical performances, the new director brings his own fresh outlook. Creating a strong connection with the local community is important for Bertrand Salanon, whose project also focuses on nature and the living world, with the goal of developing traveling forms of art.
The 2024-2025 season includes just over 70 shows. Learn more by reading through the downloadable brochure.
© Gwladys Gurtler
Purchasing dates for non-members:
- Starting September 10, at 12:30, for shows in September.
- Starting September 24 for shows in October.
- Starting November 2 for shows for the rest of the season.
Subsidized tickets, last minute deals, with kids, and with a little curiosity, it is possible to enjoy culture without breaking your budget. Refer to pages 104 and 105 in the brochure.
Top of page photo credit:
- © Gwladys Gurtler
Journalist: Aude Pollet Thiollier
Translation: Darin Reisman