A r i a n e F e r n e b o k
Theatre Director-Performer-Makeup Artist
I am a French director and playwright with a background in acting, make-up art. My work question perceptions of mental health, relationships, intimacy, memories. I utilise multidisciplinary elements such as music, makeup, and videos, to captivate audiences, whilst creating a unique rhythm to my work. I draw on practices from naturalistic theatre, participatory art (such as Marina Abramovic performances), contemporary writings, music, poetry, novels, paintings to shape the interpretation of my performance work. My mission is to open the audiences’ eyes to aspects of daily life that are not always obvious or considered.
In 2023 I wrote, directed, and acted in ‘Hands on the world’ depicting the idea of the sad reality of today’s society, in contradiction with own reality and our surroundings, using music, videos, and body painting. The same year I created ‘Is anyone here?’ I used my own personal writing, where I described and illustrated on stage Insomnia, using mirrors, blocks, music, voice over. My aim was to recreate a maze I experience when having Insomnia.
I like to work in collaboration with the actors I am working on, to help the characterisation. For myself, it is essential to exchange with them about their point of view in this or this situation, as characters and as actors. It is necessary to know their boundaries, their understandings.
Music is my way to express emotions, words cannot. I use this type of art to emphasize the attention of the audience understanding, because they might be able to relate to it. Music can evoke memories; it can touch everyone in their own personal way.
I am currently working on the piece ‘Purgatory,’ where I am the playwright, and director.
By creating this piece, I want to put under the spot, moments of toxicity and violence in a couple. Moments and feelings we cannot see with a bare eye. I denunciate conjugal violence though frames, and a form of humour.
projects.
CURRENT.
about.
I am a French autobiographical multidisciplinary performer.
I come from a literate family where I discovered classical French theatre with my grandmother. During my childhood, I used to create shows with my sister in front of my family, it is here that I discovered I wanted to direct.
I use image's theatre to interrogate moments, to understand and share feelings and emotions.
I like to create with multimedia (such as videos and pictures), music or even makeup.
Most of my pieces are my writings or adapting contemporary pieces.
I am into psychological and naturalistic drama pieces, that I discovered during my bachelor's degree of Theatre Studies at La Sorbonne in Paris, as I discovered the work of multiple playwrights, theatre directors, practitioners, from different countries. I am inspired for example, by the work of Lars Noren, Frank Wedekind, Tony Kushner, TG Stan…
Through my art, I present the audience with a personal part of myself.
A few years ago, I practiced makeup and for my new pieces I decided to use this art in my performances. My aim is to show diverse ways of expressing, through speech, music, movement, body painting.
I am interested in lots of skills that I am trying to mix, when writing is not efficient enough music can help to reach my goal.
I want to capture moments and share them with the public. I want to touch the audience with moments and feelings they can relate to.
I use my thoughts about society, the things that surround me, my background, my family and beloved, to create a form of art.
