Tuesday, 15 October 2024 16:47

Boutaina El Fekkak, a passion called theater

Boutaina El Fekkak was born in Rabat. She studied at the French high school Descartes in the capital where she earned a BA in Mathematical Sciences (Bac S).

A piece of cake for this bright young woman who was always first in her class. "For me, math was like a game. I liked it" she says, in a confusing modesty.

Boutaina‘s beauty and fragility reminds us of all those heroines we have loved in the theater. Because, looking at her, one cannot help but think of Antigone, although recently, she has been freely interpreting Emma. Yes, the one and only Emma Bovary of Flaubert on the French stage. The reviews are glowing.

Theater has always been her passion even when she left for Montreal where she pursued a degree in philosophy at the prestigious MC Gill University. In fact her love for theater began when she was a child. When already fascinated by the image, her parents offered her a small camera. She filmed everything in sight with her older brother. Until her mother told her that if she wants to make movies, she must first experience theater. The most accomplished actors have often gone through theater training. This is a reality. Since then, she only thought of performing on-stage, of giving life to famous writings, ancient first then modern texts.

In Montreal, although keen on philosophy, she enrolled at the university’s theatrical circle of Montreal. A treat. It blooms there. The only downside was her accent:"not enough québéquois." Therefore, she heads for Paris. The city of Lights in which she chose to settle to turn her passion into a profession.  Dark rooms, Parisian scenes. Carpe Diem. Enjoy to the fullest what the most beautiful and biggest cultural capitals in the world has to offer. But beyond being just an art, theater is also contests, competition, and a lot of work.

She enrolls in Claude Mathieu’s class, and early 2000, she lands in Strasbourg after completing one of the most selective French competitions. Once past this stage, she works 7 days a week from 10am to 11pm.

Then back to Paris. She successfully completes auditions at the National Youth Theatre. Once again, the dream turns into reality: Boutaina El Fekkak has made it her "job". She slips into characters ranging from Elvira (Corneille) Armande (Molière), Madame Bovary (Flaubert) ... She's on stage but sometimes takes on movies as well. Boutaina El Fekkak is an accomplished actress: classics, comedies, tragedies ... she navigates from one genre to another with her elegance and innate fragility.

Today the young woman dreams of directing her own shows which she has already collectively accomplished within the group The 3 Mulets.

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