Card games consist of a series of rules, symbols, signs, mathematical or numerological structures, mythologies, and, above all, characters. By combining and ordering them, you can create as many stories as there are possible arrangements. At least that’s the intuition guiding Robert Lepage and his collaborators on the project called Playing Cards. With such a range of possibilities, the creators imposed the structure of a deck of cards on the project. It will consist of four parts: SPADES, HEARTS, DIAMONDS, and CLUBS, each exploring a universe inspired by the asset the suit represents.

Research into the origin of cards invariably leads back to the Arab world. The tetralogy’s four parts, each independent and yet interrelated with the others, will make up a cosmos dealing with our past, present and future relationships, our exchanges, and sometimes too, our culture shocks when encountering the Arab way of life.

Playing Cards: SPADES

The first part, SPADES, explores the theme of war. The action juxtaposes two desert cities, at the moment in history when the United States invades Iraq. On one side is Las Vegas, a caricature of the Western World’s values, and on the other, Bagdad, bombed by President Bush in the name of promoting democracy.

This Tower of Babel, the gambling capital, brings together characters of different origins and affinities. During a weekend on the Strip, they will reveal the city’s multifaceted identity: the kingdom of showbiz and bling, a lieu of passage, a multicultural crossroads, a place where anything goes, a meeting point between wealth (sometimes extreme) and poverty.

Beyond luck, chance and excess, Las Vegas is also unveiled as an empire of illusions, escape and vertigo. These characters – like the gambling city that chooses to keep on playing even though the country is at war – will fight private battles with their demons here, in hopes of resolving their own contradictions.

How will the game turn out: decay or redemption? All bets are on.

Text: Sylvio Arriola, Carole Faisant, Nuria Garcia, Tony Guilfoyle, Martin Haberstroh, Robert Lepage, Sophie Martin, Roberto Mori
Direction: Robert Lepage
Dramaturg: Peder Bjurman
Director Assistant: Félix Dagenais
With: Sylvio Arriola, Nuria Garcia, Tony Guilfoyle, Martin Haberstro, Sophie Martin, Roberto Mori
Original music composed and performed by: Philippe Bachman
Set Design: Jean Hazel
Lighting Design: Louis-Xavier Gagnon-Lebrun
Sound Design: Jean-Sébastien Côté
Costume Design: Sébastien Dionne
Assisted by: Stéphanie Cléroux
Props Design: Virginie Leclerc
Images Design : David Leclerc
Wind Artist: Daniel Wurtzel
Wigs: Rachel Tremblay

Production: Ex Machina
Initiated by the 360° Network and commissioned by Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts & Creativity Co-production : Teatro Circo Price, Madrid °; Ruhrtriennale; La Comète - Scène nationale de Châlons-en-Champagne °; Célestins, Théâtre de Lyon; Cirque Jules Verne & Maison de la Culture - Scène nationale d'Amiens °; Roundhouse, Londres °; Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, Paris; Wiener Festwochen, Wien; Chekhov International Theatre Festival, Moscow; Østre Gasværk Teater, Copenhague °; La Tohu, Montréal °; International Stage at Gasverket Stockholm °; Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg; Holland Festival

° Members of the 360° Network, an international group of round artistic venues.

Producer for Ex Machina Michel Bernatchez
Associate Production - Europe and Japan Richard Castelli - Epidemic
Associate Production - The Americas, Asia (except Japan), Australia, NZ Menno Plukker Theatre Agent

Ex Machina is funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, Quebec's Arts and Literature Council
and the City of Quebec.