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Au champ de mars : An explosive satire
Théâtre la Seizième is pleased to present Au champ de mars from November 16 to 19, 2011.Produced by the Théâtre de la Manufacture (Montreal), this satirical comedy about the effects of war is a “weapon of mass entertainment” (Le Devoir) that may change your most strongly held opinions on the subject.
Eric, a young soldier who has just returned from service in Afghanistan, is suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. Unable to adjust to normal life, he turns to Rachel, a psychiatrist who has lost her sense of compassion. Rachel signs up for clarinet lessons in the hope of changing her mindset, but she is taken to task by her teacher, a pacifist who is as intolerant as he is radical. Attempting to help Eric out of his isolation, she introduces him to Marco, a hyperactive and superficial filmmaker who is hoping to rekindle his career with a film about war. Surrounded by an entourage dealing with their own problems, the young soldier finds himself alone in dealing with his internal struggles.
Mathieu Quesnel and Josée Deschênes in Au champ de mars – Photo : Suzanne O’Neill
« With Pierre-Michel Tremblay (…) more the subject matter is serious, the louder we laugh.» – Le Devoir
Even if it happens across the world, this war is part of our lives. It influences fashion, films and video games industries. We don’t see it, but it’s real: Men and women enlist, are deployed and fight in areas of armed conflict. What do we know about our military? And when they return home, what happens to them?
Playwright Pierre-Michel Tremblay tackles this difficult subject with crushing realism but always with compassion and great humour. Au champ de Mars is the second play he has written for the Théâtre de la Manufacture. The first one, Coma Unplugged, was presented by Théâtre la Seizième in 2010 and was the winner of two Masques Awards for Quebec theatre as well as the Montreal Critics Award.
Directed by Michel Monty, Au champ de Mars features an outstanding cast : Stéphane Demers, Josée Deschênes, Philippe Lambert, Mathieu Quesnel and Sébastien Rajotte. The set was designed by Patricia Ruel, the costumes by Sarah Balleux, lighting by Guy Simard, music by Jean-François Pednô, and accessories by Francis Farley-Lemieux. Geneviève Lessard is the stage manager.
Tickets : $24-27 at 604-736-2616. Student rush $8 before the show.
When : November 16-19 novembre, 8pm
Where : Studio 16 – 1545, 7th Avenue West, Vancouver
