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Marie-Antoine, Opus One [1989] in Louise Forsyth (Anthology Québec Women's Plays in English Translation) Volume I( 1966-1986) (Playwrights Canada Press, 2006)
Première lecture Cette traduction a été présentée en lecture publique par le New Dramatists, lors d'un échange avec le CEAD, à New York, en février 1990. Traducteur(s) Jill Mac Dougall (Auteur féminin) Nombre de personnages 11 Personnage(s), 10 Femme(s), 1 Homme(s), 11 Acteur(s) |  |
Résumé "Marie-Antoine, opus 1" is the mock-historical tale of a young girl who adores her mother. It is
also an allegorical and satirical look at family life, education and history. The spectator spends
three days in the life of Marie-Antoine who has managed to reach the age of six without learning
to talk. Her parents, her nanny, her school mistress, her aunt the countess, and the opera singer
who comes to dine with the family, fret and fume. Who in this fantastic cast of characters will
make Marie-Antoine speak?
The playwright refers to this play as a "neo-baroque tragi-comedy" and suggests that the performance
style can best be described as "spoken opera." The heart of the piece is the exploration of
the female psyche during the feminist upheaval of the 1980s which has produced Marie-Antoine's
universe - that of an autistic girl who doesn't speak because she rejects this world.
Plus d'informations »
- Décor: AT THE MANSION -
In the center there is a large staircase leading to Giraldine's room, stage right, and Marie-Antoine's room, stage left. At the bottom of the staircase there is a gothic pillar. Jvorx' kitchen, her lair, is under the stairs. The dining room and the drawing room constitute one area with armchairs, a fireplace and a piano on one side, and, on the other, a long table. There is a large empty space in the center of the stage. A door leads off the living room area to a patio overlooking a lake. Another door leads from the dining area to a garden. The main door through which visitors enter is situated opposite the staircase.
It is the evening meal. Pierre and Giraldine are facing each other, standing at opposite ends of the table. Marie-Antoine walks to the middle of the table, ties her chicken to the leg of her chair and sits down.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS
Marie-Antoine, Opus One should be performed as a great opera of words. The musical presence, which is occasionally indicated in the script, is an essential element. The excerpts specified in the script are given as suggestions.
Marie-Antoine is always accompanied by a hen on a leash. Lea, Marie-Antoine's double, is unseen and unheard by the other characters. She is dressed exactly like Marie-Antoine but in lighter colors.
A part from the scenes at the school, the action takes place in a Victorian mansion in Saint Blaise, Quebec at the beginning of the 20th century.
- Caractéristiques des personnages: CHARACTERS
Giraldine de Courtepaille, the mother, 34
Pierre de Magnana, the father, a baron, 48
Marie-Antoine de Courtepaille, their daughter, 5
Lea, Marie-Antoine's double
Jvorx, the maid, of Slavic origin, 56
Jva Nel*, the opera singer, 40
Vera Crystal*, the prima ballerina, 32
Madame Deltongrade*, the mayor's wife, 32
Irene*, her daughter, 15
Laura Hopkins*, the school teacher, 36
Rose-Alma Mater*, the school principal, 52
Chorus/ pupils*
*NOTE: Actors can double to fill these roles.
- Chansons: 1 song
Extrait « LEA : Come now, Vera darling. Don't stand there all agape. I pray you, sit down there between two stools and just throw away your troubles here at my feet. Revel in your frazzle, reveal your razzle-dazzle. Let's have a ball. Crystal, Crystal Ball. I want to see the world and read the future. / VERA CRYSTAL : But why are you always running? I thought you might escape me, but you are sitting exactly where I wanted you. / LEA : Serve me a red sermon in a toreador cape. Come on. Ole-oley! / VERA CRYSTAL : Antoine-Marie, I won't beat around the bush. The last time I talked to you up on the mountain, I thought you had understood. You do recall, I hope. That day you ran off into the forest and we hunted for twenty-four hours straight while your mother was dying of worry… proof enough of how much she loves you. She loves you more than herself. You are the essence of her life. And still you dare to treat her so wickedly. Why? Tell me why? Antoine-Marie, look at me. / LEA : I am looking at you, Crystal Glass. »
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Disponible à la librairie du CEAD
À L'AFFICHE DU CALENDRIER DES AUTEURS
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