Meet Cora Badey | Director & Performer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cora Badey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cora, the decisions we make often shape our story in profound ways. What was one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make?
The most difficult decision I’ve ever made was to move to Los Angeles to go back to school and build a career here.

I had been working for over 10 years as an actress, acrobat, and director in France. My life was fairly comfortable, and I decided to leave the theater companies I was working with — including my own — and “start a new life here.”
I think I needed a breath of fresh air because of the COVID pandemic; it was really hard to get back into a creative flow. Inspiration just… wasn’t showing up anymore.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a French site-specific director and performer, currently based in Los Angeles, where I’m pursuing an MFA in Directing at CalArts.

In 2013, I co-founded a collective with seven friends from the Conservatoire: Le Collectif La Cohorte.
Our first show was The Sightless by Maeterlinck. We had a few performances here and there, but we were still searching for theaters willing to support us.
Institutions tend to be cautious and slow to trust young artists fresh out of the conservatory, so we had to be innovative and resourceful — get the work done, and find our own way to share it.

In August 2014, we organized a small theatre festival in Bourogne, the village where we had done our residency for The Sightless. It was a way to give back to the people there. We started the day with around 30 audience members…
By the end? Over 100. That’s when we decided to shift our focus, and Le Festival de Théâtre d’Histoires Courtes (The Short Stories Theatre Festival) was born.

The concept was simple:
A weekend of short, powerful performances — combining visual art, video, and theatre.
Each edition featured 12 shows, exhibitions, and installations, all 30 minutes long.
Every public space in the town became a stage — a church, a river, a field, even a bunker. We hosted more than 70 performances over two days, and averaged 700 attendees each weekend.

The festival still runs today in Saint-Yan, La Clayette, and Reyrieux, with support from both local and national institutions.

It was through this festival that I truly began directing. I fell in love with site-specific work because you get to create in unique and often magical places — an 11th-century church, a riverbank, an open field.
But I also had to compromise. Things like lighting, sound, and video weren’t always possible — either for logistical or financial reasons. I had to ask myself: What’s essential? What do I really need to say what I want to say?
And most of the time, I realized I could create a full performance with just two chairs, a few wooden panels, or even nothing — just the natural environment around me.

As much as I love this kind of theatre — and I’m good at making something out of nothing, adapting to any space — I started to feel a strong desire to work in a real theater, with proper lighting, sound, scene changes, costumes.
I think that’s one of the reasons why I decided to move to another country and go back to school. Because what better place than school to experiment? If you fall flat on your face, it’s okay — you just get up and try again.

This past March, I directed my first production in the U.S.: an adaptation of The Master and Margarita in English, with actors from all over the world — and it was incredible. I loved every moment of the process.

To my surprise, directing actors in a language I don’t yet fully master wasn’t difficult at all. On the contrary — because my vocabulary is still limited, I skip the digressions and go straight to what really matters. It’s made me more precise, more focused as a director.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I used to live in Altadena, and honestly, it was the most beautiful place in all of LA. I had a view of the mountains, and the hiking trail was just a 15-minute bike ride away.

After a fire destroyed my home, I moved to Echo Park, which I really liked — I love the village-like atmosphere there.

I also love thrifting on Magnolia Boulevard, near Toluca Lake.

Now that I’m back in Pasadena, I enjoy biking around the city and grabbing a coffee at Jones. I used to go to the South Pasadena farmers’ market on Thursday afternoons. It’s really cool; I don’t have the time lately.

One of my favorite venues is The Lodge — it’s such a great spot for concerts. The next one I’m going to is Clown Core on May 29th.

It’s been a while, but I still remember how delicious the pizzas are at Hail Mary’s.

And after Altadena, my second favorite place has to be this little restaurant called Malibu Seafood. I love sitting there, eating fish and chips while watching the ocean.
Even though the Pacific Coast is absolutely stunning… Altadena still holds a special place in my heart.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family, Corine, Yves, Margaux and Yvan.
My friends, Carlotta, Anthony, Louise, Nicolas, Vincent, and Justine.
And my friend Etienne, who passed away in September 2023 and to whom I dedicate this Californian adventure.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cora_badey/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr#

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3kUUDox7LU

Other: https://www.photos.calarts.edu/School-of-Theater/The-Master-and-Margarita-3-11-2025

Image Credits
Ludovic Bernard for Collectif La Cohorte