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The Collapse of the Glaciers
Step inside a powerful theatrical re-examination of a literary icon that dares to look past the romanticized facade. By weaving archive footage and raw performance, the production invites you to challenge the narratives of intimacy, control, and who gets to tell the story of a lifetime.
Théâtre Ouvert (Paris 20th)
About
From April 19 to April 30, 2027, Théâtre Ouvert presents L’Effondrement des glaciers, a production that investigates the story of Yann Lemée through the lens of Duras’s work. Suitable for audiences aged 15 and up, this performance examines the complexities of intimacy, power dynamics, and historical narratives. By weaving archival documents with reimagined scenes, the play invites the audience to reflect on the nature of fascination and abuse. The venue is fully accessible to visitors with motor, visual, auditory, or cognitive disabilities, and includes performances in sign language.
Through a fragmentary narrative, composed of archival elements and reimagined scenes, The Collapse of the Glaciers navigates through the history of Yann Lemée, to turn the viewpoint around and attempt to give a voice back to the man who became a character in Duras's work. The play strives to confront what remains idealized in the collective imagination and invites us to question our ambivalences by placing this relationship on a human scale. Can love take root in one being's fascination with another? Can we make room for violence in intimacy? Under what condition(s)? Where does love end and abuse begin? And, between the lines, what makes posterity decide to hold onto one version of history or another, and what does it choose to turn a blind eye to?
Our take on this event
L’Effondrement des glaciers takes place at Théâtre Ouvert in the 20th arrondissement, running from Monday, April 19, to Friday, April 30, 2027. The performance schedule varies throughout the week: on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, the show runs from 19:30 to 21:00. On Thursdays and Fridays, the performance occurs from 20:30 to 22:00, and on Saturday, the show is held from 18:00 to 19:30. Tickets are available for purchase at prices ranging from 8 to 20 euros.
Recommended for those 15 and older, the play uses a fragmented narrative approach to explore the history of Yann Lemée. By revisiting Duras’s legacy, the production challenges the audience to interrogate their own ambivalences regarding love, violence, and the selective nature of historical memory. It seeks to bring abstract concepts of intimacy back to a human scale, questioning where affection ends and abuse begins.
The venue is committed to inclusivity, offering full accessibility for wheelchair users. Furthermore, the production is specifically adapted for individuals with cognitive, visual, or auditory impairments. Performances in sign language are provided to ensure the event is accessible to all audience members.
