''Théâtre de Neptune'' was performed at
Port Royal
Port Royal is a village located at the end of the Palisadoes, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, it was once the largest city in the Caribbean, functioning as the centre of shipping and co ...
as the first theatrical production in North America.
Marc Lescarbot
Marc Lescarbot (c. 1570–1641) was a French author, poet and lawyer. He is best known for his '' Histoire de la Nouvelle-France'' (1609), based on his expedition to Acadia (1606–1607) and research into French exploration in North America. ...
(c. 1570–1641) wrote the play and is best known for his ''
Histoire de la Nouvelle-France'' (1609), based on his expedition to Acadia (1606–1607) and research into French exploration.
''Le Theatre de Neptune'' was performed in the harbor outside the French settlement of Port Royal on November 14, 1606. He published the play in 1609. The script attempts to prove the promise of New France. The play is a series of four
welcoming speeches by Mi'kmaq chiefs. Each accepts the sovereignty of the French, unmistakably and unreservedly. These natives proclaim allegiance to the French monarch in their own territory, and that fact presses a question of the authenticity of the scripted representation. There are also welcoming remarks by Neptune and his court of six Tritons, followed by a banquet.
[Kathleen Lynch. Staging New Worlds: Place and "Le Theatre de Neptune" ''Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies'' 38:2, Spring 2008, p. 317]
Hal Theriault performed ''The Landing, A Pageant'', a staged reading at "The Re-enactment of de Mons Landing at Port Royal," July 16, 2005. In 2006, on the 400th anniversary of the first performance, a revival was planned by the Atlantic Fringe, but the performance was cancelled due to lack of CAC funding, as well as controversy over the perceived imperialist messages of the play. A "radical deconstruction" entitled ''Sinking Neptune'' was performed as part of the 2006 Montreal Infringement Festival, despite cancellation of the event it protested.
The play is the namesake of
Neptune Theatre (Halifax)
The Neptune Theatre is the largest professional theatre company in Atlantic Canada with a capacity of 458 and is located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It performs a mixture of new and classical plays. It is named after the play Théâ ...
See also
*
Theatre of Canada
Canada's contemporary theatre reflects a rich diversity of regional and cultural identities. Since the late 1960s, there has been a concerted effort to develop the voice of the 'Canadian playwright', which is reflected in the nationally focused ...
References
Endnotes
Texts
Works by Marc Lescarbot on Project Gutenberg (in French)A text of ''The Theatre of Neptune'' (in French)Theatre 400, planners of ''Neptune'' revival
Atlantic Fringe
''Sinking Neptune''
* Kathleen Lynch. Staging New Worlds: Place and “Le Theatre de Neptune” ''Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies'' 38:2, Spring 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theatre de Neptune
Canadian plays
Culture of Nova Scotia
1606 plays