The most long-lasting legacy of the Louvre Atlanta project may be its impact on education, according to Carolyn Cook, an Atlanta-based actress who founded the Francophone theater troupe, the Theatre du Reve.

Launched in 1995 to create dialogue between American and French speaking artists, the Theatre du Reve’s small group of locally based Francophone American actors and actresses brought to life the works of art that had been transported across the Atlantic Ocean.

“When a student group arrived and they came as far away as from Mississippi, having driven all day, we performed for them,” Ms. Cook told GlobalAtlanta.

Through seeing period costumes, hearing period music and looking at the projections of the art works from the Louvre behind the actors and hearing stories, the students got, she said, “a fleshed out 3-D experience…”

The actors also responded to the students’ questions and encouraged them to think about the art to which they were exposed.

By participating in the project, Ms. Cook said, the theater group felt that they became engaged with Atlanta’s larger arts community. The High, she added, also developed ties to the city’s theater and music communities.

Although the Louvre Atlanta project is to be closed in September, Ms. Cook said that she felt that the relationships remain in place.

The Theatre du Reve is currently preparing short pieces for the “Leonardo da Vinci: Hand of the Genius” exhibit that is to be at the High from Oct. 6-Feb. 21, 2010.

The exhibit includes 23 drawings and two sculptures. There also will be works inspired by him from other masters such as Donatello and Verrocchio.

This exhibit is being organized in association with the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and in collaboration with the Opera Santa Maria del Fiore and the Opificio della Pietre Dure in Florence, Italy.

To learn more about the High programs, go to www.high.org

The Theatre du Reve's Web site is www.theatredureve.com 

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