Sometimes, in the middle of a theatrical season, marked by committed, even militant speech, there is a little play that goes off the beaten track. Whose comforting, surprising words contrast with the cry of revolt of several contemporary artists.
Such is the case of Old Orchard, a dramatic comedy by Thomas Gionet-Lavigne (S’aimer, Basse-Ville…), a Quebec author who has a real gift for well-crafted dialogues.
This intimate one-act play has great qualities of heart and spirit. The author treats with benevolence the contradictions, existential and sentimental, of his generation: the 30-40 year olds.
Admittedly, the new work by Gionet-Lavigne, which he directed himself at La Licorne, is not perfect. The last quarter cuts sharply with the rhythm of the performance… We can understand that the characters experience an epiphany, but not to the point of completely changing their personality in 24 hours! His positioning of the performers, in the narrow stage space of the room, is a bit awkward. The author would have benefited from an outside perspective for the staging.
Two guys from Quebec, a social worker and an accountant (played by Jean-René Moisan and François-Simon Poirier respectively). And two girls from 450, a reserved restaurateur (Myriam DeBonville) and a policewoman who doesn’t have her tongue in her pocket (Milène Leclerc). If the four performers have mastered their score well, we make a special mention of Poirier’s playing for the “crash” of his accountant at Desjardins. Tasty !
“How do we know if our life is like us? “Why choose to touch your own existence, rather than really anchoring yourself in it, at the risk of being wrong? These are some of the questions raised in Old Orchard. Against all odds, these four solitudes, with opposing values, will go through their differences to come together in a beautiful quest for meaning.
By the end of their seaside getaway, the characters may have discovered a kindred spirit; but above all human warmth. Lit by a new consciousness, the quartet then contemplates the horizon with the beginnings of answers to their questions about the absurdity of life. In an epilogue reminiscent of the magnificent final scene of Albertine en cinq temps.
“We want to tell poetic, colorful and sensitive stories that will inspire viewers of all ages and from all walks of life. Our motto is: open everything and close nothing,” writes Gionet-Lavigne on the website of his company, the Théâtre Hareng rouge. With Old Orchard, it is clear that his objective has been achieved.