Seuls en Scène 2025: A Princeton Stage for International French Theater

Curated by Professor Florent Masse, the festival brought leading French and Francophone artists, a partnership with Festival d’Avignon, and community participation.

Princeton once again became a stage for international theater this fall as the Seuls en Scène festival returned for its 14th year, presenting a diverse lineup of French and Francophone works in venues across campus. This year’s edition, held September 12–21, featured collaborations with the Festival d’Avignon and a special celebration of Actes Sud-Papiers’ 40th anniversary.

“We want audiences to feel transported—as if they are experiencing the best of Avignon or Paris here in Princeton,” said Florent Masse, curator of the festival and Professor of the Practice in the Department of French and Italian.

The 2025 program offered six theatrical works alongside a film screening, two musical readings, and artist conversations. Highlights included Mariano Pensotti’s Une Ombre Vorace, brought to Princeton through the festival’s partnership with Avignon, and Micha Lescot’s interpretation of Kafka’s La Métamorphose, presented as a musical reading. The anniversary of Actes Sud-Papiers, a major French publisher of plays, was marked by a discussion with acclaimed theater directors Wajdi Mouawad and Caroline Guiela Nguyen.

In addition to performances by established artists, this year’s festival for the first time invited community participation in Nous Sommes un Poème, which brought together members of the University and the local Francophone community. “It was exciting to also include and involve audience members during this festival, that will remain" Masse explained.

Since its founding in 2012, Seuls en Scène has grown from a showcase of recent graduates of the Paris Conservatoire into a festival well known within France’s public theater world. For many of the artists, performing at Princeton marks their first experience on an American stage. “French actors and French directors love the festival and they know about the festival,” Masse said. “The artists are excited about the invitation. And for most of them it’s usually the very first time they’re performing in the U.S.”

Masse also noted that the proximity to New York adds to the festival’s appeal, but what visiting artists discover in Princeton is unique. “They mostly discover this beautiful America, an American college campus,” he explained. “They also discover a community, the Francophone community at Princeton, that is very welcoming to them.”

Accessibility remains central to the festival’s mission. All performances are presented in French, but subtitles and bilingual Q&As help broaden the audience. “Everything is in French… but for the main events, we will make sure that it’s also accessible and that English subtitles are available,” Masse explained. This year also featured a number of Q&As in English. The approach was successful, attracting several non-Francophone audience members.

Looking back on this edition, Masse emphasized how the variety of the offerings has enriched the program. “I learned that… we can organize exciting events that complement the festival offerings,” he said. “That was the spirit of this edition that I hope to recreate next year.”