Jeunesse
Jeunesse
"The Surfers of Economics": When Economics Gets Rediscovered on Stage
Does economics bore you? That’s because you haven’t met Angie and Nono yet. This duo of "economics surfers" presents, in one hour and with an electrifying style, the history of the discipline through a "theatrical conference" held at the Cité de l’Économie in Paris. The institution, which opened two and a half years ago in the former neo-Renaissance-style Hôtel Gaillard, is behind the show. "The brief included discussing several authors like Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and Karl Marx," recalls Jérémie Lebreton, the director. While the second author "got dropped," the creator, along with a playwright, allowed themselves to delve much further back in time. A "wave" that started with... Platon.
The "conference" kicks off with Platon, convinced that the well-being of the city cannot tolerate structuring its society solely based on the principles of market exchanges. The contradiction posed by Aristotle, more "accommodating" towards the market, then creates a crashing wave… that rolls through to our modern day. Constantly seeking balance on this wave, Angie and Nono ponder: Can human desires, sometimes impulsive and irrational, be reconciled with the work of reason? The Enlightenment era, along with the "invisible hand" theory of the Scotsman Adam Smith, receives a thoughtful treatment, theorizing the pursuit of individual well-being as the foundation of a nation’s wealth. A century later, Marxist thought responds, inseparable from the historical context of Europe’s rapid industrialization and the dominance of the bourgeoisie, with its ideology of ownership and consumerism.
To accompany their lively discussion, the two teacher-surfers regularly unroll two large scrolls at the back of the stage. The illustrations evoke an atmosphere, like a "pop art" series, featuring John Maynard Keynes, the champion of demand-driven economic recovery to avoid the pains of the Great Depression of the 1930s… all the way to the risk of depletion.
"It’s a simple set that allows easy movement from one place to another," explains Jérémie Lebreton. The show, which aims to appeal to everyone, has been performed in several high schools in the Paris region. "It went really well," the director continues. "The script allows for flexibility and opens up possibilities for interaction with the audience."
Romain Subtil
Original articles : https://www.la-croix.com/Culture/Surfeurs-leconomie-quand-leconomie-laisse-redecouvrir-planches-2022-01-29-1201197461