Without being daring, the piece four girls offers a beautiful moment of theater, thanks to a sensible and sensitive adaptation of the novel The Four Daughters of Doctor March by the American Louisa May Alcott, written in 1868.
This chronicle on family ties, the difficult emancipation of women, poverty, the construction of happiness and the transition to adulthood is carried with grace by four young actresses at the Théâtre Denise-Pelletier.
In this proposal by author Julie-Anne Ranger-Beauregard, the quartet lived under one roof during the Civil War. The eldest, aptly played by Clara Prévost, dreams of meeting Prince Charming and starting a family. His youngest Jo, the rebel who monopolizes all the space, aspires to independence by becoming a novelist. Rose-Anne Déry handles confidence well, but also the fragility that animates this central character. Then comes Beth, the nice pianist who does not wave (Sarah Anne Parent). And finally, the youngest Amy, who tries to make her place with pride. Laetitia Isambert makes it with aplomb.
Attached to them, a grumpy aunt tries to deflate their illusions by painting them an implacable portrait of everyday life. Worn by Dominique Quesnel, this caricatural character offers a few moments of humor.
The only man in the room, Laurie, Jo’s great friend, is elegantly played by Mattis Savard-Verhoeven. All of the book’s other secondary protagonists have been crossed out, allowing the focus to be on the four heroines.
Conventional invoice
Louis-Karl Tremblay’s staging is classic. The snowflakes falling intermittently during the show offer an excellent common thread that testifies to the hardness of life and the passage of time.
The plot remains simple, like a long calm river. All in all, the emotions are gently distilled, without rushing anything.
“I’m just me,” Beth says toward the end of the performance. A bit like her, this show does not have the ambition to go further. And that’s fine for those who want to discover this work that has become a literary classic.
four girls is presented at Théâtre Denise-Pelletier until April 9.
- four girls ★★★1⁄2
Directed by Louis-Karl Tremblay