Théâtre HEBERTOT: The prize

The play
You're about to witness a story that's as topical as they come. Yet it takes place in 1946. Things haven't changed much, if at all. Lise Meitner, an outstanding physicist, did not win the Nobel Prize. It was Otto Hahn, with whom she had worked for over thirty years, who went on to win it alone. This seemed normal at the time. But not for Lise. And when she comes knocking on Otto's door, a few hours before he is to be presented with the prize, a tense, passionate and implacable conversation ensues! But nothing here is Manichean. It's not all black and white. Each side has its own truth. Otto advances his pawns, and so does Lise, both constantly walking a tightrope. In the end, there's always a price to pay.

A word from the director
Jouvet had this wonderful saying: "The actor is the text standing up". Of course, it's essential that the text to be performed is of the highest quality. Cyril Gely's play is a powerful dramatization, intimate, historical and societal, particularly in its look at the place of women in the scientific community and beyond. As for verticality... we are extremely fortunate to have Ludmila Mikaël and Pierre Arditi as Lise Meitner and Otto Hahn, two performers who have long dreamed of sharing the stage. Their meeting on stage promises to be dazzling. Both have the art of stopping time with a glance, an inflection or a gesture. It's a privilege and a joy to be able to work with them. What's more, in this play I find a theme that's close to my heart: the forgotten people of history. After Alan Turing, it's also about a scientist, Lise Meitner, whose work with Otto Hahn led to the discovery of nuclear fission. And yet, only Otto Hahn was awarded the Nobel Prize. This notion of light and shadow is also reflected in the set design. With the action taking place in Stockholm's grand hotel, we'll be lulled by the characteristic Nordic light of those early nights. For the musical aspect, Lise and Otto did everything four-handed, including the piano. Schubert's beautiful Hungarian melody, played by my partner Romain Trouillet, will set the pace of the show. Finally, it's extremely important for me to keep the intimate dimension of this confrontation. These characters have made history, but their separation, the emptiness and suffering it has left behind, is at the heart of their preoccupations. In this way, history meets intimacy, touching us right in the heart and continuing to enlighten us on the path we must take to ensure that women are never again deprived of light.