POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION

PREJUDICES OVERCOME BY THE ALEXANDRINES

Jean-Pierre, a renowned surgeon, despairs of seeing his son one day get down to “serious” work. His bad mood only gets worse when Sébastien introduces him to his girlfriend. Her name is Yasmina, she is a civil servant and her speech, surprising to say the least, horrifies him to the highest degree: she only speaks in alexandrines. For him, it is a handicap and he thinks that she got her job as a civil servant under positive discrimination.

Discreetly, he begins to devise a scheme to keep the young woman away, but, just as he seems to be succeeding, an extraordinary event locks the family in and calls everything into question…

Play written in 2007

The author’s intention

The play is not a thesis on positive discrimination. I especially wanted to talk about our reflexes in the face of difference. Speaking in alexandrines is very different from the usual way of speaking. Objectively, there is nothing wrong with that. However, in the play, this singularity provokes a rejection of the father. We understand that this is only a pretext compared to other less than brilliant reasons. Beyond the question of prejudice, what interests me in difference is the fact that it is not enough to accept it. We must seek it, cultivate it. Difference is at the origin of all action, and of all creation. Without difference, nothing happens.

Discrimination positive premiered on January 4, 2008 at the Théâtre de Ménilmontant (Paris 20°), directed by William Malatrat.