Photo : Nicolas Hennette
The Subversives • A show by Les Filles de Simone
Some bonds are strong enough to reshape society itself. This sharp and playful stage performance invites you to discover communities of women who dared to rewrite the rules, trading the nuclear model for powerful female-led alternatives. Expect a wild, insightful journey that will definitely challenge your perspective on independence.
La Maison des Métallos (Paris 11th)
About
La Maison des Métallos presents Les Subversives, a performance by Les Filles de Simone that explores the history of women's communities. From medieval Beguines to modern ecofeminist groups, the show uses fiction and real-life testimonies to examine alternative ways of living together. Recommended for audiences aged 15 and up, this dynamic play offers an original take on collective daily life. The venue is fully accessible to wheelchair users and provides specific accommodations for blind or visually impaired visitors, ensuring an inclusive experience for everyone attending this thought-provoking theatrical journey in the 11th arrondissement.
Take your place in the circle and embark on a journey to the heart of those communities of women who dared to invent other ways of building society! From the independent Beguines of the Middle Ages to the Maison des Babayagas in Montreuil founded by Thérèse Clerc, to a community of lesbian and ecofeminist women in 1970s Oregon,
Les Filles de Simone tell us three stories of survival and repair written in the feminine. Between fictional scenes inspired by real testimonies and playful moments, the two actresses invite us to a lively and offbeat exploration of their unique daily lives, where one can go from a meeting about buying a chainsaw to a herbalist quiz.
Around the show
Surveying of "Elles vécurent heureuses" by Johanna Cincinatis (WED. MARCH 17｜6:30 PM—9:30 PM)In partnership with Peuple & Culture
Duration 3h
Price 8€
Reservation recommended
The Maison des Métallos, in partnership with Peuple & Culture, invites you to a surveying workshop around the book Elles vécurent heureuses: L'amitié entre femmes comme idéal de vie by Johanna Cincinatis (ed. Points).
More and more of us are putting friendship at the heart of our lives. Some female friendships go beyond the classic framework of a friendly relationship: women buy houses together, found non-mixed third places, marry to celebrate their friendship. They value a bond with revolutionary power. Instead of making it an adjustment variable, a "buffer" or "safety valve" relationship allowing them to manage other types of relationships, they place friendship at the center of their lives and interests.
What if this model became democratized? What would happen if female friendship represented the same social asset as the couple and opened as many doors: economic capital, social recognition, tax support, professional network, personal fulfillment? Female friendship would blow the whole system apart.
This book, which mixes the author's testimony and investigation, invites us to question the traditional model of the couple as a basic social structure and to imagine other possibilities, other ways of forming a family that would be sources of fulfillment and freedom for women, too often locked in the suffocating yoke of the heterosexual couple.
Surveying is a method of discovering a book together. It is recommended not to read the book beforehand! The Métallos team is in charge of bringing a copy, cold drinks, and treats, for a friendly moment of sharing.
Take a moment for yourself before the show, a time of transition between your daily life and the theater. Accompanied by Marine Désessard, share some movements, breaths, words, or knowing glances to let go and better welcome the show.
Tactile tour of the stage (THU. APRIL 01, 2026｜6:00 PM)Explore the set and the world of the show thanks to a tactile tour of the stage, specially designed for blind and visually impaired people.
Post-show discussion with Annie Le Roux from the association "Pourquoi pas vieilles" (THU. APRIL 01, 2026)Following the performance of The Subversives, the artistic team of Les Filles de Simone will extend the journey to the heart of sororal utopias with a post-show discussion in the company of Annie Le Roux, a member of the Brest-based association "Pourquoi pas vieilles", which brings together women over 50 around a collective reflection on old age, housing, and the way of "building society" differently.
Echoing the female communities depicted in the show – from medieval Beguines to the Maison des Babayagas – this meeting will propose shifting the gaze towards today's initiatives, where women regularly meet to imagine forms of self-managed, accessible, and inclusive housing, open to the city and attentive to social diversity.
It will be about how the extension of life, the burden of elderly parents, and the risk of isolation disrupt our ways of living together, but also about the political and joyful strength that can be born from a weekly coffee, a trip to discover other experiences, or a simple shared question: "Where will we live in our old age, how, and with whom?"
Our take on this event
From March 31 to April 2, 2027, head to La Maison des Métallos to discover Les Subversives. Through a blend of humorous scenes and historical exploration, the company Les Filles de Simone shares stories of female survival and solidarity. Performances are scheduled for Wednesday at 20:00, and Thursday and Friday at 19:00. Tickets are available at 25€ for full price, with reduced rates of 15€ and 10€.
On Thursday, April 1, the experience includes a tactile stage tour designed for blind and visually impaired guests. Following the performance, a discussion with Annie Le Roux from the association « Pourquoi pas vieilles » will explore contemporary topics such as shared housing and collective living among women over 50.
The venue is committed to accessibility, featuring full wheelchair access. Given the unique nature of the performance and the additional events, early booking is advised to secure your place for this engaging exploration of social structures and feminist history.