US tour of “Angela Davis, a history of the United States” written by Faustine Noguès

September will see the first American tour of the play “Angela Davis, An American Story” by the French company L’Héliotrope. A huge success at the Avignon Off Festival, Faustine Noguès‘ play, directed by Paul Desveaux, and interpreted by Astrid Bayiha tells the story of the arrest of Angelas Davis on October 13, 1970, by the FBI. Wrongly accused of murder, kidnapping and conspiracy, she was imprisoned for sixteen months until her trial, which found her not guilty in June 1972. In prison, Angela Davis continued her reflection and her struggle, notably on the conditions of incarceration and the question of political prisoners. 

A militant woman, black, communist, feminist, affiliated with the Black Panthers, philosopher, sociologist, she developed a complex thought, for civil rights, for a decompartmentalized feminism, against the death penalty, against the prison system… It is never a question for her of closing a cause on itself, but rather of understanding the relations, the interactions with the other circles of the discriminated and of opening the reflection towards an enlightened activism.

Locations and Dates:

Princeton University, September 22 and 23 | 8 pm | As part of Seuls en scène Festival
Maison Francaise, Washington, September 28 | 7 pm
MIFA, Holyoke, MA: September 30 at 7:30 pm | October 1st at 7:30 | October 2nd at 2:00 pm

About The Team

Author Faustine Noguès. She wrote her first text “Surprise Parti” in 2017 winning numerous awards (support from ARTCENA and Beaumarchais-SACD, FORTE device). The play was created in 2020 at the Reine blanche in Paris and was presented in 2022 at the Festival d’Avignon – Théâtre du Train Bleu. Since then she has written other texts: “Les Essentielles”, or “Talia c’est moi”, and “Angela Davis: A History of the United States.” She is also a playwright or assistant director for David Lescot, Laurent Vacher and Linda Blanchet.

Actress Astrid Bayiha. Trained at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art in Paris. She has performed under the direction of Catherine Riboli, Irène Bonnaud, Gerty Dambury, Eva Doumbia, Paul Desveaux, Bob Wilson, Mounya Boudiaf, Jacques Descorde, Soleïma Arabi, Hassane Kassi Kouyaté, Denis Loubaton, Julie Kretzschmar, Françoise Dô, Ayouba Ali, Arnaud Churin, Stéphane Braunschweig, Elemawusi Agbedjidji. She wrote and directed “Mamiwata” (2018); and “I’m weird” (2021 – published by Koïné editions).

Director Paul Desveaux has created theater productions for more than twenty years, moving from classical to contemporary repertory, often with ongoing collaborations with authors such as Fabrice Melquiot. Revisiting artistic or political figures of our time his productions are at the crossroads of theatre, music, and dance, such as in “Pollock”, “Diane Arbus” both by Melquiot. They have been touring France with a presence at the Avignon festival-off and abroad in Argentina, Switzerland, United States.Paul Desveaux is also director of ESCA, School of Dramatic Art, a flagship school with training programs with companies. 

Composer Blade Mc/AliMBaye. He is a Franco-Senegalese artist. His questions are expressed and find refuge indifferent artistic expressions between rap, music, theater, dance and cinema. Self-taught, his creativity allows himto collaborate and tour internationally with the Montalvo-Hervieu company, or with D’ de Kabal, Laetitia Guedon, and recently with Thomas Ostermeier in “Retour à Reims”.

Supported by FACE Contemporary Theater, a program of Villa Albertine and FACE Foundation, in partnership with the French Embassy.