Jean-Marie Besset has done well to wait until the first day of spring to inaugurate the Prize Café Beaubourg, as it was a beautiful Wednesday evening in front of the famous brewery of Gilbert Costes, in front of the Centre Pompidou (Paris Iii). A place not so trivial, since it is here that, “for thirty years, people from the theatre come together and begin many adventures in theatre”, as explained by the director before hosting its jury. And sigh: “Notwithstanding the fact that one is on the right bank!”

“in The beginning was the word. The playwright award at the theatre, we too often forget”, he then brought the microphone, before handing over the prize – a cheque of € 5000, – to the winner of the day, Carine Lacroix, author of We will sleep when we’re dead (Quartett editions). The award was made in the presence of Gilbert Costes, who also presented the winner with a trophy designed by Christian de Portzamparc, the architect of the Café Beaubourg.

A jury of prestige

This brand new literary prize, the initiative of Mr. Besset, wants to highlight a pan too discreet of creation: literature, theatre, distinguishing a piece of theatre, original, written in French and performed or published in the course of the season. “Because the theater in France is an art indispensable and fragile”, as stated very precisely in the regulation, “(an art) threatened to become an elastic concept, which can be diluted in the name of “Scenes”, at the risk of said hybridization forms”.

For this first edition, the author of Jean Moulin, gospel is surrounded by a jury as chic eclectic. The journalist and writer Laure Adler, the actress and director Anne Delbée, Arielle Dombasle (who among its multiple activities, has released its new film Alien Crystal Palace this year), Michel Fau (who rode this year’s Fric-Frac at the Theatre in Paris ), the director of theatre and festival John Varela but again Christophe Barbier, which one knows the pronounced taste for the theatre (he plays at this point his Tour of the theater in 80 minutes in the Pocket). The discussions have had to be animated…

“We had to read about sixty pieces, and examine more than 150,” said Arielle Dombasle, in praising the direction taken by the price to “modernity and the revelation, out of the shadows to those who deserve it.” Jean-Marie Besset was then welcomed the bold We will sleep when we’re dead , “a piece cash and very modern”, which dealt with “the themes of the rap songs”. “There is a poetic project behind the writing”, he added.

a Few big names (including Milo Rau and Recovery , Mohamed Kacimi for All my dreams leave from the gare d’austerlitz or the controversy Kanata by Robert Lepage) and a number of discoveries émaillaient the pre-screening of a dozen appointed. But these are the only two women on this panel who were distinguished, and this despite the fact that Anne Delbée did not want to “play gender”, Charlotte, nc Lagrange, receiving an “Accessit” for his play Poor as . Unlike most of the other texts, the one of Carine Lacroix has never been mounted on the boards. This cannot delay any longer…