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Interview with Yves Bellefleur

Yves Bellefleur likes to introduce himself as a “manager of plays”. For more than 20 years, he has worked with theatre companies who want to tour in Canada, from his headquarters in Sherbrooke. It’s because of him, that productions such as Bashir Lazhar (2008), La liste (2012) and Moi, dans les ruines rouges du siècle (presented from November 12 to the 16 at Studio 16), travel across Canada to make it to us in Vancouver. Intrigued? Us too! The Seizième Edition asked him to demystify the work of a touring agent.

Bashir Lazhar by Evelyne de la Chenelière © Valérie Remise

Sylvie Drapeau in La liste by Jennifer Tremblay © Suzanne O’Neill

Moi, dans les ruines rouges du siècle by Olivier Kemeid © Stéphanie Capistran-Lalonde

Talk to us about the job of being a touring agent. What is your role?
My job is to create a link between the theatre companies that produce the shows, like Les Trois Tristes Tigres, and the organizations who buy the shows, like Théâtre la Seizième. I take care of promoting the shows that I represent to different presenters, and then organize the tours.  With the presenters, I determine the performance dates and I negotiate the fees.  I also make sure that the companies I represent have a global vision of the work it takes to put a tour together.  They must, among other things, get the necessary grants, develop promotional tools for the presenters and organize travel for the technicians, the actors and the set.  I guide them through this sometimes complex process.

What are the reasons that brought you to dedicate yourself to a career as a touring agent?
I wasn’t predestined to work in theatre. It’s life that pushed me towards this career.  I studied journalism in Jonquière, after which, I worked as a radio host and in the written press in Lac-Mégantic. After 7 or 8 years, I had done the rounds in my field, and I wanted a change. My wife and I moved to Sherbrooke where I went to work for a theatre company that did plays for teenage audiences.  Soon after, I got to know Mario Trépanier, at Summum. I became his right hand man, and when he left the company, I took over for him.  There was then – and it is still the case now – a real need in the theatre community for services like those offered by Summum. Today, there are three theatre agents in Québec. It is a terrific career that allows me to take advantage of my skills in communication and my passion for theatre, while

You began working at Summum Communications in 1995.  Since then, have you noticed changes in the touring field?
25 years ago, new theatre productions didn’t tour very much in Canada. There was only the Théâtre Populaire du Québec, the Théâtre du Rideau Vert and a few minor companies who took a chance on touring. Since then, there has been a literal explosion in the amount of shows available to tour. With the arrival of organizations like les Voyagements, touring new theatre productions has taken off in Québec and in French Canada.  More and more companies want to tour to prolong the lives of their shows. This is very positive for presenters who have access to a huge choice of shows when it comes to their programming. It is also very positive for their audiences because they are given the opportunity to discover all sorts of companies, artists and various artistic styles. Unfortunately, the demand from presenters hasn’t increased at the same pace as the amount of shows available, which means that there are more tours, but not as long. Before, a show by the Théâtre Populaire du Québec would be performed up to 60 times. Today, a good tour is 25-30 performances. There is a disconnect between the supply and the demand.

Confronted with this oversupply, how do you choose the shows that you represent? What are your criteria?
I find that the work of a touring agent is very similar to that of an artistic director. Your artistic director, Craig Holzschuh, builds his theatrical seasons from a supply of shows. I build my catalogue.  When he picks a show, he takes into consideration the expectations of his audience and what he is looking for as part of his artistic signature. The work of a touring agent is kind of the same thing. I pick the shows I represent according to the expectations of the presenters and at the same time, I let myself be guided by my own artistic tastes. I rely on my instincts. Occasionally, I also choose less conventional shows that I believe in, and I try to find buyers for them. Of course, I keep myself up to date on the best theatre around. A company that is not ready to tour this year, might be ready in two years.

What attracted you in Moi, dans les ruines rouges du siècle?
Several years ago, I worked with Les Trois Tristes Tigres. I had been impressed by Olivier Kemeid, who was then working at the Espace Libre. He is a man of theatre, who has a unique artistic process and an easy way of communicating with audiences. When he invited me to see Moi, dans les ruines rouges du siècle, I was already biased about liking the play even before seeing it.  But it was once I was in the theatre that I was won over. The story of Sasha, which was intertwined with the story of Russia, deeply touched me.  It is an extraordinary tale, well crafted and deeply true, with, what’s more, an excellent cast. All the elements were there to put together a good tour.

What does it mean for you and your clients to tour in Western Canada generally, and in Vancouver more specifically?
For companies from Québec, to travel so far is financially risky. They often have to sit down and revise their budgets.  You have to, among other things, buy airplane tickets for the actors, put them up for several days, and ship the set over a long distance. There are grants to assist in this kind of travel, but between the time a company applies for a grant and the time they get a response, there is a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. That being said, the artists are always very happy to perform in Vancouver.  For them, it is an extraordinary opportunity to discover the West Coast, and to meet new audiences in an intimate setting.  In the case of Moi, dans les ruines rouges du siècle, Les Trois Tristes Tigres immediately accepted Craig’s invitation. They had a real desire to come perform in Vancouver, despite the challenges that such a trip represented.

Moi, dans les ruines rouges du siècle will end its tour in Vancouver, a trip that brought them to 25 different venues, with over 45 performances.  How has the play been received by audiences up to now?
I have received excellent comments about the show wherever it has gone. Generally, it surpasses the expectations of the audience. It isn’t the tragedy the long title suggests (laughs)!  The humour is omnipresent and helps us navigate through the more dramatic moments. The audiences laugh a lot, but it also happens that some audience members leave the theatre crying because they have been moved. A producer at the Bic told me that, after a performance, a man of a certain age confided to him: “You succeeded in making me cry.  I’m not one to let my emotions show, but this play really moved me.” There is great humanity, even universality, in Olivier Kemeid writing.  It is hard not love this play, and I’m convinced that the audiences in Vancouver will also be won over.