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The Copiaus

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maison de pernand vergelesses
After the closing of the Rive Gauche Theater MSD started up work with the former crew of the Vieux Colombier that had been forced to exile to Burgundy. MSD was now familiar with office work and was also experienced as an assistant director since he had worked with Jacques Copeau. In 1925, MSD was already acknowledged as Jacques Copeau’s right hand man but he was still eager to extend his knowledge of theater life; he worked as both author and actor in the development of the “Comédie Nouvelle”. From the offset, MSD began working on a character that he wanted to be as near as possible to the people he lived with in Burgundy. This gave birth to Jean Bourguignon, a character who could be defined as very colorful and deeply rooted in his own land. Jean Bourguignon came to life on stage thanks to the various improvisation methods used in the School: mime, dance, choral speech, song and mask. The first show took place on May 17th 1925; Jean Bourguignon and the Copiaus preceded “Les sottises de Gilles” (after playing the part, Jean Villard added the character’s name to his own name to form a new stage name Jean Villard-Gilles).

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tournée des copiaus
In the summer of 1925, Copeau decided to re-create the company and they all settled in Pernand. The inhabitants (at first skeptical of the newcomers) accepted them little by little and even called them the “Copiaus”, a name that was soon adopted by the crew. The process of integration was on its way and the creation of La Célébration de la Vigne et du Vin marked the final step of the local audience’s recognition. This was when the company decided to tour internationally. They began playing in Switzerland, in Belgium, in the Netherlands and finally in England and Italy where they were able to diversify their repertory.

The central show, The Illusion, was an adaptation of both La Célestine by Rojas and the Illusion Comique by Corneille. According to Copeau, it was the first stage of what would come to be known as the “Comédie Nouvelle”, a French equivalent to the Comedia dell’arte. In August 1927, Copeau and Villard wrote and directed La Danse de la Ville et des Champs, which was immensely successful even though Copeau was highly critical of its value.

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oscar knie
The characters of the “Comédie Nouvelle” developed gradually; MSD played the part of Oscar Knie, Jean Dasté played Mr.César and Suzanne Bing was the “Célestine”. In March 1929, the company quickly created its last show, Les Jeunes Gens et l’Araignée which was also a great success in Burgundy and abroad. Jean Villard wrote the music, Marie-Hélène Dasté and Marie-Madeleine Gautier were in charge of the costumes and the setting. In five years, MSD had played more than twenty different parts in fifteen different shows and the company had performed those plays approximately fifty times a year.

In the meantime, Copeau was going through a religious crisis and his theatrical endeavors no longer seemed adapted to the company’s creative intentions. Copeau was gradually withdrawing into his shell while at the same time some members expressed their desire to exist outside the company. It led to a deep questioning of the company and in the summer 1929, Copeau himself decided to put an end to the whole project.

 

Jean Villard explains the move to Burgundy

A few pictures of the “Copiaus”

 
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