In 2022, a small group of lawyers notes the absence, within the Paris Bar, of a theater association that lives up to its ambition: to give amateurs the opportunity to direct with resources and a requirement for quasi-professional quality. It was then that the need to create an artistic space designed to measure, by and for lawyers passionate about dramaturgy, became obvious. The same year, En Répliques was born.
“At the start, there were six or seven of us. Today, we have more than 70 members. The project grew quickly. We have evolved a lot, through the expansion of our team and the diversification of our initiatives”explains Armelle Dunand, artistic director and co-founder of the association. In three years, the troupe of actors has performed on stage numerous times: performances inspired by the novel Letter to a young poet to notable adaptations of plays such as Dad’s Photo, The Reunification of the Two Koreas, Fires, Bluebeard’s Wives et Wind in the branches of Sassafraswithout forgetting an original creation, Thirty Dayssigned Jean-Baptiste Riolacci. A history of eclectic programming, which affirms a desire to experiment with several genres and to address different audiences.
When the association was created, the name En Répliques was adopted unanimously. It finds its origin in a play on words combining legal and theatrical vocabulary. The intention is to emphasize the dual identity of its members, both lawyers and actors. In the theater, a line constitutes an actor’s response to his partner on stage. In law, reply submissions designate the responses provided by the request to the defense’s observations. It’s sort of «the conclusion of the conclusion»specifies Armelle Dunand. This double meaning reflects the vocation of the initiative, which is distinguished by its ability to combine rigor, a quality inherent in the exercise of law, and creativity, necessary for any form of artistic expression.
