The 80th Festival d’Avignon: Preparing for our voyage to France!
By Caitlin Heelen
Every July, the beautiful historic city of Avignon in the South of France completely transforms into the largest theater playground in the world. For three weeks, every street corner, courtyard, chapel, and basement becomes a stage.
For us at the French Theater Project, Avignon is our ultimate treasure trove. It is where we scout the most breathtaking, innovative, and deeply moving contemporary spectacles to adapt, translate, and bring directly to you in Boston!
Our founder, David Miller, is a frequent Festival Avignon visitor - for me and Haley, it will be our first times experiencing this amazing festival.
What is the Festival d’Avignon?
Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, the festival is a massive cultural phenomenon. To understand how it works, you have to look at its two distinct sides running simultaneously: the IN and the OFF.
The IN (The Official Festival): This is the highly prestigious, heavily curated core of the festival. Handpicked by an artistic director, it features elite international companies performing massive avant-garde productions in historic monuments, like the open-air Cour d’honneur inside the Palais des Papes.
The OFF (The Independent Fringe): This is a spontaneous, chaotic, open-access marketplace for performing arts. There is no selection committee—any theater troupe can perform as long as they can find a space. The streets are alive with actors in full costume, handing out flyers and pitching their plays.
Our Primary Focus is the OFF! Because it is an open landscape of independent talent, the Festival Avignon OFF is where we discover the raw, brilliant indie gems that align with our mission. It’s where the magic happens for us.
Bringing Avignon to Boston
Over the years, the incredible art we've scouted at the festival has directly shaped our seasons. Productions we have successfully brought from Avignon to American audiences include:
Tu seras un homme, papa (You’ll Be a Man, Pop): A deeply moving, intimate story that beautifully bridged the language barrier.
La Femme à qui rien n'arrive (The Woman to Whom Nothing Happens): A brilliant contemporary slice of storytelling that completely captivated our audiences.
Contre-temps (Backbeat): The dazzling musical biography that swept Boston off its feet with its magical, rhythmic energy.
Adieu Monsieur Haffmann (Farewell Mister Haffmann): The powerful, suspenseful, 4-time Molière Award-winning historical masterpiece.
Soie (Silk): Our most recent delicate and sensual solo performance that invited audiences to travel and dream.
What should we see next?
The 2026 Program is Live—and we are preparing to go back! The official OFF 2026 Program is officially live! With over a thousand incredible shows hitting the stages this summer, our team is getting ready to hit the pavement.
Three of our team members will be in attendance this July to hunt for our next big production. Here is our scouting schedule:
David: July 3–11
Caitlin: July 3–5
Haley: July 17–18
We want to hear from you! Have you been browsing the program? Is there a particular French playwright, company, or indie production that has caught your eye?
Fill out this Google Form and help us decide which piece of French theatrical brilliance we should bring across the Atlantic next!
Le Menteur at Théâtre du Girasole – July 2, 2024
