Les Vies authentiques de Phinéas Gage at the Théâtre du Rond-Point

From May 15 to 25, 2025, the Théâtre du Rond-Point will host a production freely inspired by the real-life fate of Phinéas Gage, a little-known figure in 19th-century America. Between biography and poetic fiction, this show explores the upheavals of identity as it is tested by the body and society.

Directed by Marie Piemontese and Florent Trochel, Les Vies authentiques de Phinéas Gage is presented from May 15 to 25, 2025 at Théâtre du Rond-Point, in a form that blends historical narrative, intimate theater and social reflection. Through the little-known story of an American foreman seriously injured in an accident in 1848, the two artists propose a journey through personal reconstruction and unexpected life choices, in a world of industrial change.

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Phinéas Gage, a young model worker on a railway site, sees his destiny turned upside down after an accidental explosion pierces his skull. This event, although medically spectacular, becomes the starting point of an existential tipping point: no longer quite the same man, Phinéas gradually leaves behind his old life to reinvent himself, between traveling circus and South American adventure. The show, inspired by this true story, would deploy several possible versions of the same man, as a sensitive exploration of trauma, memory and the freedom to reinvent oneself. Themes of exclusion, social norms, marginality and inner ecology intersect in a fragmented narrative that is both concrete and dreamlike.

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Les Vies authentiques de Phinéas Gage would appeal to adult and teenage audiences (aged 15 and over), curious to discover singular, hybrid narratives, somewhere between documentary theater and scenic reverie. Lovers of non-linear forms, transformative narratives and contemporary theater will find this a stimulating field of exploration. On the other hand, audiences accustomed to classical narrative theater or highly structured plots may be disconcerted by the fragmentary, introspective tone of the piece.

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Les Vies authentiques de Phinéas Gage takes a fresh look at the accident as a point of rebirth, weaving a fable about reconstruction, inner exile and the freedom to be oneself. A show that, through a singular destiny, resonates with the questions of our time on norms, identity and resilience.

This article is based on information available to date; the show has not been viewed.

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