"Joan of Arc: heart of fire, soul of a warrior," a play based on texts by St. Therese of Lisieux, presented as a sound and light show at the Basilica at Lisieux, May 9-10, 2013
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On Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10, 2013, the Association "The Message of Therese," together with the management of the Shrine of Lisieux, presented a sound and light show, "Joan of Arc: heart of fire, soul of a warrior" at the Basilica of Lisieux.
The core of the show is a stage play, performed by professional actors and amateurs, made up of extracts from Therese's writing about Joan of Arc. Behind the actors, a giant screen shows the scenery and evokes a host of elements that fit into Joan's story. The soundtrack plays poignant music. Between the scenes written by Therese, which the actors play, videos told the transitional history, evoking the historical context of the life of Joan of Arc. This carefully researched work has been produced in collaboration with the Centre Jeanne d'Arc of the city of Orleans. Therese's text has been embedded in a broader framework.
The show was presented over two special days at Lisieux as part of a spiritual and cultural program on the theme of Therese of Lisieux and Joan of Arc, including Masses, conferences, and a concert. The planners hoped to attract 5,000 people to Lisieux for this event. A parallel exhibit about Therese and Joan of Arc is being presented at the Centre John Paul II, next to the Basilica. The exhibit will remain open until October 30, 2013.
This show was organized by the Association "The Message of Therese." Chaired by the Rector of the Shrine at Lisieux, it aims to organize various events to make the writings of Therese known in an artistic way. It has hundreds of volunteers who support the organization in different areas.
For details in French, see www.spectacle-jeanne-and-therese.com
Therese wrote and starred in two plays, or "pious recreations," as they were then called in Carmel, about Joan of Arc. You may read them in The Plays of St. Therese of Lisieux: Pious Recreations, ed. Steven Payne, O.C.D. Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 2008.