Postcards from Paris: {Tap Tap Tap sur Guignol}

For some time now I've been waiting for the opportunity to see one of these performances with the infamous Guignol. The little french girl I watch was describing the show with an exaspperated tone in a pace so fast I could hardly comprehend it all The urgency to arrive on time was apparent, that I understood. Her excitement was contagious, and I found myself anxious for a good seat. Though we missed the first few wacks, we arrived when a new character was being introduced, and the crowd was calm. She squeezed further up the rows where no sign of adults were present. I had to keep my composure and stay with the crowd closer to my age, even though I so wanted to be a child again yelling, pointing, screaming, laughing, and clapping without a care in the world. It's practically a deafening experience, but the children's energy and excitement is so wonderful that the yells and laughter are encouraged. Even if a grown-up was plugging their ears, he or she still had a charmed smiled stretched across their face.
I was afraid that these "modern" children wouldn't appreciate the show as much as children did in the past. At times I am concerned that craft is being overridden by the likes of technology, or that sarcasm has replaced simple laughter. What a pleasant realization that children can still be children, and adults can still be children too, but who have to sit in the back rows.

This is a clip from The 400 Blows (1959) by François Truffaut.
Above images from:
wikipedia.org
www.guignol.fr
www.theatreguignol.fr
www.guignolparis.com

Bisous,

Reba