A word from the author

Hidden in the words "Jules Verne" are the words "Je rêve" ("I dream"). Not surprising, for an author who loved to sprinkle his work with winks, riddles and language games. Who cultivated a fascination for both the real and imaginary worlds. Who perfectly combined science and fiction, to the point of becoming the great precursor of the genre that would combine the two words. Even today, he continues to inspire millions of readers around the world, including me. I've long dreamed of a show that would turn the iconic elements of his work into a new story, with Quebec as the backdrop. A young woman, Joséphine, his cousin and correspondent on the other side of the Atlantic, who dreams of discovering the world, even though convention dictates a domestic life for her. A young woman who dares to leave, to embark on an unreasonable journey across the ocean, to finally meet her cousin and inspire her literary vocation, but above all to dare to write her own life story. Thanks to Frédéric Bélanger and the entire team at Théâtre Advienne que pourra, to Diffusion Hector-Charland, and to all the artists and craftspeople who took part in this adventure, from near and far, and put their immense talent at the service of this work, the dream has become a reality, and for this I am, from the bottom of my heart, infinitely grateful. Jules Verne collected his famous stories under the name of "Voyages extraordinaires". Journeys he never actually made, at least not physically. Rather, he dreamt them without leaving his armchair. Tonight, just like Jules, you'll be traveling from your armchair with Joséphine, using only the evocative power of theater as a rudder. May the journey be as pleasant and surprising to experience as it was to create.

Enjoy the show! 

Philippe Robert