A Journey to Gizeux, Castle of the Arts
When I returned to Atlanta, I knew I was bringing back a great treasure from the castle of Gizeux in the Loire Valley. The experience that I had in the hunting room of the castle has translated itself into something incredible and wonderful to share with my first grade students at AIS. The story that I brought back, about the laundress, a boy named Jérome, and Le Grand Dieu du Cadre Noir, grew out of my imagination while attending a workshop at the castle.
The story I imagined is that of an old lady remembering her experiences as a laundress in the castle of the Delafont family, when something astonishing happened to their seven year-old son Jérome. Jérome’s uncle had fallen asleep after dinner and dropped his saber, which had originally belonged to the commandant of the famous military horse school called “Le Cadre Noir” (The Black Frame). Jérome’s uncle was honored with the highest distinction of the school and named Grand Dieu du Cadre Noir. Jérome had secretly picked up his uncle’s saber and, when his mother asked him to help her warm the family beds with a bedwarmer, he carried the saber upstairs with him. Carefully he approached the silent stairway leading to the bedrooms. Everything around him was dark except for the sharp blade of the saber that he held in front of him, but he had to be brave like his uncle had taught him. Suddenly something extraordinary happened. All the black-colored objects in the castle, as well as everything black from the hunting room disappeared – and his uncle, all dressed in black, had disappeared too! He was on the second step of the stairway by himself when he saw the darkness, all the blackness gathering into a sheet and wrapping itself around the saber. Jerome knew that he was afraid of the dark but something had to be done to bring back his beloved uncle.
You would need to be a first-grade student to know what happens next to Jérome in the Castle of Gizeux. In our Unit of Inquiry “Magical Tales,” my students will hear the complete version of this story that came out of my imagination after spending some time in the hunting room and hours of improvising with our group and learning how to ‘let go’ stories, from our bodies and our voices under the guidance of our teacher.
Without the castle of Gizeux, La Compagnie de Théâtre de la Pastière, the real Delafont Family and the audience, I would not have been able to imagine this tale. Our little “troupe” learned a great deal from each other. The strong dynamics and esprit de corps of our group grew from our long hours of hard work. Because of the wonderful personalities of the individuals as well as our unshakeable will to achieve our goals, we finished the workshop tired but very proud of all the stories and characters that each of us brought to life in the wonderful ‘natural’ setting of the castle.
I would like to thank Alessandro Arici, the artistic director and trainer for actors, for his guidance through my workshop. His thoughtful and personable teaching methods were a great model for me as an educator. I’m also grateful to the whole group of actors who delighted us with their interpretation of Cyrano de Bergerac, a ‘moving’ theater play around the castle with the interesting concept of having the audience moving around the castle during changing acts. And last but not least, this wonderful journey was made possible by the AIS Travel, Study and Research grant. I am very thankful to the donor for making my very personal wishes come true.
If you wish to experience a similar journey or have your child experience a French theater workshop, the Castle of Gizeux’s Center for the Arts also organizes theater workshops for children and teenagers aged 4-16. It is also possible to couple horse-riding or artistic fencing classes (like those in the movies!) with the great opportunity to participate in the play Cyrano de Bergerac in the summer. Consult their website for more information at www.lapastiere.com.