PASSION SIMPLE

Passion simple is a novel written by Annie Ernaux in 1991 that delves into themes of desire, dependency, and obsession. It recounts the overwhelming passion of an older woman for a young married man, but, above all, it is a story of waiting for him. The protagonist invites us to journey with her into the ineffable depths of memory, transforming a private feeling into something universal and revealing a complex, raw, and fierce femininity. There are no judgments about the passion experienced, nor is there cynicism in recalling the madness.

In our scenic adaptation of the novel, we focused on the concept of dissection: it is, in many ways, the anatomy of a passion rather than just the experience of it. As the author recalls, in the analysis of desire from a clinical perspective, she discovers the gratitude for having experienced it.

We believe that things left unspoken might cease to exist, especially when confronted with an inheritance that often positions sexuality as a source of punishment. This is why it is so important for us to explore desire and dependence in a mature, intelligent woman who, in the process of being obsessed with a man, can lose herself—and find happiness in that loss.




Author: Annie Ernaux
Direction & adaptation: Lucia Del Greco
Performer: Cristina Plazas
Set design: Pol Roig
Lighting: Cube.bz
Costume design: Pau Aulí
Movement: Lorena Nogal
Sound design: Pere Jou & Aurora Bauzà
Photography: Monica Lek

A production by Cassandra Projects, Temporada Alta & Teatre Akademia

Passion simple will premiere at the Temporada Alta Festival on October 12, 2024, and will be at Teatre Akademia in November 2024.