FIAF Presents Sami Frey in Beckett's PREMIER AMOUR, 4/9 & 4/10

The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), New York's premiere French cultural center, will welcome esteemed French actor and comedian Sami Frey in Samuel Beckett's acclaimed work, Premier Amour. On April 9 and 10, Frey will inhabit Beckett's poetry and wit for two nights only of special performances.

Originally written in French in 1945 and translated into English by Beckett, Premier Amour tells the story of a soulless narrator, discovered by a prostitute on a park bench after he becomes homeless. The provocative and visceral tale delves into the cruel and sexual relationship that unfolds following this encounter. Well received by audiences in Paris during its run, Frey's expressive self-directed performance prompted Le Monde to observe that, "Sami Frey and Samuel Beckett obviously share a very strong bond."

Sami Frey's illustrious career spans 5 decades and includes both theater and film credits. Frey has appeared on stage in both classics and new productions, notably in works by Marguerite Duras, Racine, Harold Pinter, and Georges Perec. On screen, Frey is best known for playing eccentric, offbeat supporting and occasional leading roles in New Wave films such as Agnès Varda's Cleo From 5 to 7 (1962) and Jean Luc Godard's Band of Outsiders (1964). He was in his late teens when he made his screen debut in Pardonnez nos Offences (1956). In 1993, Frey garnered considerable critical acclaim for his portrayal of mad actor, poet, and theorist, Antonin Artaud, in En Compagnie d'Antonin Artaud (1993). Frey worked with notable directors throughout his career, including Claude Miller, Jacques Doillon, and Elie Chouraqui, to name a few.

About Sami Frey
As a theater actor, Sami Frey has appeared in productions by directors Yves Robert (L'Année du bac, Graduation Year, by José-André Lacour), Antoine Bourseiller (Dans la jungle des villes, In the Jungle of Cities, by Bertolt Brecht), Jean-Louis Barrault (Le Soulier de satin by Paul Claudel), Roger Planchon (Bérénice by Racine), Claude Régy (Se trouver by Luigi Pirandello, La Chevauchée sur le lac de Constance by P. Handke), Jorge Lavelli (Le Borgne est roi by Carlos Fuentes), Patrice Chéreau (Toller by Tancred Dorst), Alfredo Arias (La Bête dans la jungle by Henri James, an adaptation of Marguerite Duras), Raymond Gérome (Trahison by Harold Pinter), Simone Benmussa (Pour un oui pour un non by Nathalie Sarraute), Marguerite Duras (La Musica II by Marguerite Duras), Benno Besson (Le Théâtre de Verdure by Coline Serreau), Denis Marleau (Nathan le Sage by Doris Lessing)...

Frey has also staged Georges Perec's Je me Souviens (Memories), Harold Pinter's C'était Hier, and Beckett's First Love.

Frey has also appeared in feature-length films such as La Vérité (The Truth) by Henri Georges Clouzot (1960), Thérèse Desqueyroux (Therese) by Georges Franju (1962), Cléo de 5 à 7 (Cléo from 5 to 7) by Agnès Varda (1961), L'Appartement des filles (Girl's Apartment) by Michelle Deville (1963), Bande à part (Band of Outsiders) by Jean-Luc Godard (1964), Une balle au cœur (A Bullet Through the Heart) by Jean-Daniel Pollet (1965), Qui êtes-vous Polly Magoo (Who Are You, Polly Magoo?) by William Klein (1966), L'écume des jours (Spray of the Days) by Charles Belmont (1968), Manon 70 by Jean Aurel (1968), La Chasse royale (The Royal Chase) by François Leterrier (1970), M comme Mathieu (M as in Mathieu) by Jean-François Adam (1970), Les Mariés de l'an II (The Married Couple of the Year Two) by Jean-Paul Rappeneau (1971), Le Journal d'un suicidé by Stanislas Strandjevitch (1972), Rack (Cancer) (1972) by Charles Belmont, Pauline 1880 by Jean-Louis Bertucelli (1972), César et Rosalie (César and Rosalie) by Claude Sautet (1972), Pourquoi pas (Why Not!) by Coline Serreau (1977), Ecoute voir (See Here My Love) by Hugo Santiago (1979), Mortelle randonnée (Deadly Circuit) by Claude Miller (1983), Le Garde du corps by François Leterrier (1984), La Petite fille au tambour (The Little Drummer Girl) by Georges Roy Hill (1984), La Vie de famille (Family Life) by Jacques Doillon (1985), L'état de grâce (State of Grace) by Jacques Rouffio (1986), La Veuve noire (Black Widow) by Bob Rafelson (1986), Laputa by Helma Sanders Brahms (1986), De sable et de sang (Sand anf Blood) by Jeanne labrune (1988), L'œuvre au noir (The Abyss) by André Delvaux (1988), L'Africana (The Woman from Africa) by Margarethe Von Trotta (1990), La Voix (The Voice) by Pierre Granier-Deferre (1992), Hors Saison by Daniel Schmid (1992), En compagnie d'Antonin Artaud (My Life and Times with Antonin Artaud) de Gérard Mordillat (1994), La Fille de d'Artagnan (D'Artagnan's Daughter) by Bertrand Tavernier (1994), Les Menteurs (The Liars) d'Elie Chouraqui (1996), Les Acteurs (Actors) by Bertrand Blier (2000), La Repentie (The Repentant) de Laetitia Masson (2002), Anthony Zimmer, Il regista di matrimoni (The Wedding Director) by Marco Bellochio (2005), Danse avec lui (Dance with Him) by Valérie Guignabodet (2006), Nuit de chien (Tonight) by Werner Schroeter (2008), Mensch by Steve Suissa (2009)

In 2006, Frey performed readings of The Manuel, by Epictetus, Marguertite Duras's La Bete dans la Jungle, and Les Entretiens avec Jean-Paul Sartre by Simone de Beauvoir.

What: FIAF presents Sami Frey in Premier Amour
When: Two performances: Friday-Saturday, April 9 & 10, 2010, at 8pm
Where: FIAF- Florence Gould Hall; 55 East 59th Street (between Park and Madison Avenues)
Admission: $40 FIAF Members; $50 Non-Members
Tickets: www.fiaf.org | 212 307 4100
Information: fiaf.org | 212 355 6160
Transportation: Subway - 4, 5, 6, N, R and W to 59th Street & Lexington Avenue; F to 63rd Street & Lexington Avenue. Bus - M1, M2, M3, M4, Q31 to 59th Street; M5 to 58th Street

Photo Credit: Hélène Bamberger / Cosmos