Anthéa

The Antibes performance hall celebrates its 10^th anniversary

Par Tanja Stojanov

Too big! Too ambitious! The Anthéa project initially elicited strong reactions. Nonetheless, the performance hall has sold 1 million tickets in nine seasons and is currently 65% self-funded. “From the outset, we wanted a performance hall open to the performing arts,” explains Jean Leonetti, Mayor of Antibes. A state of mind to which Daniel Benoin subscribed: “I was still at the Théâtre National de Nice. That contributed to the idea we needed to do things differently and not be bound by constraints like a Dramatic Arts Centre. I found myself for the first time the director of a theatre with a single political contact and 14,000 subscribers.” It puts on a total of 260 performances each year. Anthéa’s 10^th-anniversary programme has some surprises in store, like the Ballet National de Marseille’s Room with a View on 25 May. “The (La) Horde collective, which directs the ballet, has changed how we see dance. This show was a huge success at the Théâtre du Chatelet. So, we are giving you another opportunity to see it here,” enthuses Daniel Benoin. To be followed by L’Harmonie des Genres (Harmony of the Sexes) by Noémie Lenoir from 6 to 8 June, a show created by the artist during her residency here, which will then go on tour. One of Anthéa’s distinctive features is its subscription system: spectators must choose at least one show per thematic strand offered, i.e., a minimum of five performances. “It’s exceedingly difficult to watch Wagner when you’re 70 if you’ve never done it before, and we very much focus on the younger generation and school audiences. So, you can see what you know, confirm your tastes, besides discovering something different, a new work, for example,” continues Jean Leonetti. Popular without being mediocre

“We wanted to maintain the link by offering free broadcasts during COVID-19, and this gave as much pleasure to performers as to spectators,” continues Jean Leonetti. “And today, we have as many subscribers as before the pandemic.” Two free shows are scheduled in June for Anthéa’s 10th anniversary: a reading of La Plus Précieuse des Marchandises (Most Precious of Commodities: A Tale) by Olga Grumberg and a Carte Blanche Pour Un Rideau Rouge (Carte Blanche for a Red Curtain) with Pierre Gagnaire. “Anthéa also welcomes those who are not necessarily theatre people, people like Pierre, a magnificent cook and my oldest friend,” adds Daniel Benoin. A decade also celebrated joyfully during Immersion evenings, with a video aperitif, concert or show, and an after-party on the terrace with a DJ/VJ. Will the Théâtre be welcoming contemporary visual artists again too? “I dream about it,” continues the Mayor of Antibes, “because I’ve always thought it difficult to attract people to a theatre or a museum. We have this facility, the media library and conservatoire, to help decomparmentalise and make the arts accessible.”