“The great failure of history is its inability to convey what it sees,” said gay activist Larry Kramer. René, the protagonist of the play A heart inhabited by a thousand voices, think no less…
At 93 years old, this transgender man, “prisoner of a lying body”, has fought many battles for the rights of his community. On the verge of death, sick and bedridden, René (Jean Marchand, moving!) watches the snow fall while religiously listening to the Stabat Materby Pergolesi.
Melancholy like a Chekhov character, he suffers and misses “the gang of girls” and trans people: Doudouline, Polydor, Louise, the two Gérards… Artists and academics who have lived on the margins of society. And having gone from intolerance to acceptance of their difference.
Under the care of Olga “the Russian nurse” played with coldness and accuracy by Pascale Drevillon, René would like to bring his group of girls together at his home. For the last time. To ask them not to break the great chain of activism; to continue the long fight for equal human rights.
Vast program which will unfold in the final scene. Without giving anything away, let’s say that it magnificently illustrates the necessary human solidarity… for all causes, and not just those of the LGBTQ+ communities.
In a complex, “fugitive” plot, the piece therefore addresses the importance of transmission between generations. With the magic words, the “Proustian” images of Marie-Claire Blais, the story unfolds in multiple temporalities. We evoke the past of the nights of the underground (René was a pianist in Montreal cabarets) in the present and the uncertain future. In our current world, like René, we have the impression that society is taking a leap backwards.
PHOTO YANICK MACDONALD, PROVIDED BY ESPACE GO
Christiane Pasquier and Jean Marchand, magnificent, in a piece which addresses the importance of transmission between generations.
Magical words… and comical
These magical words are delivered by solid performers: Nadine Jean, Louise Laprade, Sylvie Léonard and the sublime Christiane Pasquier. This one is like a Stradivarius: the finesse of its delivery commands admiration!
The entire cast makes Blais’ fragile and deep voice vibrate… Then comes Grande Sophie… A legendary actress like Gloria Swanson. She grumbles while putting on makeup alone in her dressing room. Thanks to the electrifying playing of Élisabeth Chouvalidzé, we discover the irony in Blais’ score. Because the author’s marginal and avant-garde generation also has a terrible sense of humor. And there are some very comical repartees in this chiseled, brilliant text.
The staging of the Marleau-Jasmin tandem is very rigorous. She uses Jasmin’s video projections, without overusing them. Cameraman Victor Cuellar is constantly present on stage. His images give us access to the memories and emotions of the protagonists, which he films in close-ups. The decor, also by Jasmin, lit by Marc Parent, is magnificent.
To transpose these literary characters to the stage, Stéphanie Jasmin and Denis Marleau had the good idea of entrusting the adaptation of the novel to Kevin Lambert. There is an artistic and ideological connection between the author of May our joy remain and Marie-Claire Blais. A sensitive look at writing, and at life on the fringes of the dominant elite. Which gives this proposition even more relevance.
Consult the part page
A heart inhabited by a thousand voices
Text by Marie-Claire Blais, Adapted by Kevin Lambert
Directed by Stéphanie Jasmin and Denis Marleau
1 hour 20 minutes (without intermission)
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