Face à Chienne : Dire, transmettre et recevoir le récit de l’inceste au théâtre. Recherche collective sur une création scénique de la Cie Jours tranquilles

Abstract

Context

This article discusses a transdisciplinary research project, rooted in the fields of psychoanalysis and literature, aimed at exploring the psychological processes involved in the reception of the stage adaptation of the play Chienne, which addresses intrafamilial and incestuous violence.

Objectives

We aimed to explore the specificities of the subjective experience associated with encountering a work addressing incestuous violence, the effects this encounter produces, and the potential transformative processes that emerge over time.

Method

Our team interviewed eight participants, either creators or spectators, who encountered the work in its theatrical or literary forms: author, director, actress, audience. The semi-structured interviews were analyzed using the IPA method, highlighting the dominant themes in the narratives. Our study distinguishes two groups: the “involved” (connected to the creative process) and the “spectators” (focused on reception). The work is analyzed on two levels: Lafontaine's literary text and its staging by the company Jours Tranquilles.

Results

Our analysis reveals the transitional nature of the encounter with the artistic work. The potentially traumatic theme carried by Chienne first emerges as a form of repetition, affecting the spectator/the involved at the level of primary processes, bringing forth the “unthinkable” and unsymbolizable nature of its content before serving as a medium for the emergence of connection and meaning.

Interpretations

In this way, the engagement with the work opens up the potential for transforming un-symbolized experiences and allows for the renewal of intersubjective connections.