Séisme: A Couple's Existential Crisis on Stage at Théâtre du Petit Saint-Martin

At Théâtre du Petit Saint-Martin in Paris, Claire de la Rüe du Can and Jean Chevalier, actors from the Comédie Française, perform in "Séisme," a play by British playwright Duncan Macmillan directed by Robin Ormond. The 90-minute production explores a couple's anxieties about having a child amid climate change and eco-anxiety. The set is a glass box resembling an aquarium, with no props, where the audience observes the characters like voyeurs. The dialogue is unfiltered and overlapping, reflecting contemporary speech patterns. The female character, paralyzed by hyper-lucidity, debates everything, while the male character declares love with sensual ardor. The scenography tightens into a narrow corridor filled with gray smoke, symbolizing life's uncertainties. The performance is noted for its intensity and lack of pauses, with the actors delivering a remarkable display of technique and inspiration.