“There’s gonna be a lot of emotions, laughter and sarcasm”
An interview with Clara Huet
Everyone has some sort of hidden talent. If you’re mySugr Product Owner Clara, you probably have more than one. We talked to Clara about one of her biggest passions: acting. Check out our deep-dive into her upcoming theatrical outing in “Les Redoutables” — a French-language, German-subtitled play.
Hey Clara, can you tell us a little bit about the plot of the play?
We’re doing something a little different: we’re doing a play and a short movie. The play is about a group of people creating a movie. And then the movie that plays to the audience is about a group of people creating a play and performing it. It shows the process of creating a scenario and training as an actor.
Whoa…That sounds very ‘meta’. And which one are you in? The play, or the movie?
I’m in both.
Are you the same character in the movie and in the play?
The characters are completely different. There’s no continuity — the play and the movie are sort of a response to each other. Everyone is playing a different character between the film and the play.
Do you have an iconic line that your character says? Like in Dirty Dancing, where Patrick Swayze says, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner”?
[Laughs] I do have one kind of iconic line. We have a scene where I’m playing a member of a casting panel. Basically, we have a line each person says at the end: “On vous rappellera”, which means “We’ll call you back”. The fun of it is the shift between the situation (various actresses trying to get the role) and the never-changing answer which is clearly just a façade.
So, is Les Redoutables a comedy?
I’d say it is. It’s also a little dramatic and a little philosophical.
There’s already a film called “Le Redoutables”. Is this a remake of that film?
No, the movie is based on the idea of “La Nuit Américaine” a film by François Truffaut, which is also about shooting a movie. You’ll see bits and pieces of it re-enacted in the short film.
For mySugr staff who don’t speak French, how would they be able to enjoy the play?
Both the movie and the play are going to be subtitled in German. Someone has already translated the whole play and will be pushing a button, so the text appears above the stage, while we’re performing. So you’ll see the text above our heads.
How long have you been acting for?
I’ve been part of this particular theater group for two years now. But I first started acting in middle school. Back then, I created my own theater group.
That was actually one of my worst experiences, in terms of friendships I had at the time. I created the group with two friends. And you know, producing a play requires you to think about so many things. And answer so many questions. How are we going to work together? How much do we trust each other? Theater is so much about making subjective decisions on what is important and what is not so important. So, that was … an adventure.
But we did manage to do a play twice at the end of the year. It worked out better the first time than the second time, though.
That kind of experience seems like it sets you up really well for life in general.
You know, I’ve read a lot of articles where actors describe rituals they perform before they go on stage. Is that something that resonates with you?
I don’t really have any rituals. I’m the kind of person that isn’t really stressed out about going on stage. But then I get really freaked out once I get on the stage.
In French we say “Merde!” before going on stage, because wishing good luck is bad luck. This dates back to the olden days. People would come to the theater in a horsedrawn carriage, and the more horse poop you had in front of the theater, the more people who’d come to the show. So you’d wish actors a lot of poop.
That sounds very … unscientific (laughs).
Let’s say somebody is not experienced in going to the theater. Or maybe they are even intimidated by it. How would you help them understand that theater is accessible for everyone?
My advice would be: don’t be afraid of theater because you think it’s too fancy for you. There are so many different types of plays — you can find a play for everybody. It’s like reading — just like everybody can find a type of book that they like, everybody can find a play they like.
How do you feel, just before you step on stage?
Last year I had a warm costume with two huge pillows as a fake stomach and I remember standing behind the curtain waiting to go out. There’s a mix of calm and excitement about being about to do something you never thought you could do. This is the best feeling in the world. Just get out there.
Do you get that feeling from anything else in your life?
It’s like being at your own birthday party. Everybody is there for you and wants to listen to you, and celebrate you. You’re in the spotlight and you get to be your best self. It’s kind of the same thing being on stage, everyone is so supportive.
What has been the biggest challenge of getting ready for the performances?
Learning the script is always so tough. It takes a lot of time. For the movie it was horrible because we had to be there from 6am until midnight. Half the time you weren’t actually filming, but you still needed to be there. We had two whole weekends like that — it was exhausting.
For the play, we were doing a course once a week, plus a rehearsal every Sunday afternoon. You have to learn your lines on your own, and then again with other actors. So you have to organize meetings and agree on schedules so everyone’s available. That’s probably the hardest part.
Imagine that tomorrow a new law is introduced that bans all theaters. What kind of loss would that be to you?
You know, I didn’t do theater for a long time. But even during the times I had stopped, I always had a passion for it. There are so many times now, that I am tired — after work — and I don’t feel motivated to go to theater group. But the minute I get there, I feel so good.
The high you get on performing days is bigger than anything. You put so much time and commitment into it, but it pays off in the end. It’s so much fun and the solidarity behind it is huge. Basically, we need to stick together to make this happen. The thing you remember in the end is the group work, not your own performance. It’s a communal thing. That what I would miss the most: the feeling of community.
What should the mySugr people expect when they are coming to your play?
It’s gonna be a lot of emotions, laughing, sarcasm, but also a little bit of philosophy and a little bit about life in general.
Join the mySugr team to support Clara as she acts her heart out in Les Redoutables.
Friday 28 June @ 19:30
Theater Kunst im Prückel
Biberstrasse 2
1010 Wien
