Théâtre de la présence et de la disparition. Une répétition où manque un interprète

The experience of being confronted with a unique theatrical event has been commented on in this article. In extremis, a theater director had to replace one of the principal actors. Rather than taking on his role, she chose to convey the actor's presence through comments over the microphone with the help of audio or video recordings made during previous rehearsals, neither of which in fact gave a true reflection of the actor's presence. However, the audience found that the way in which the director had reconstructed the actor's absence was a theatrical technique that was very effective, and which should be repeated. This particular experience raised the question of what is true and what is not, and the confusion between the two. It also raises the question of what defines the essence of a theatrical performance, its power of suggestion, and its limits.