Since graduating from the Quebec Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in 2004, Thomas Gionet-Lavigne has written or collaborated in the writing of around ten plays. After having presented Lower Town in 2019, the author and director is back these days at the Unicorn, this time the big one. Thanks to Old Orchardthe artistic director of the Théâtre Hareng rouge extends with humor and tenderness his study of the love and identity confusion of millennials.
Comedic and dramatic, cynical and nevertheless romantic, the quartet imagined by Gionet-Lavigne unfolds, you guessed it, in this famous seaside resort in Maine, a place particularly popular with Quebecers. We first meet Éric (Jean-René Moisan), social worker, and Philippe (François-Simon Poirier), accountant at Desjardins. The first, who has his habits in Old Orchard, is preparing to introduce the second, recently single, “the only bar that looks good”, the one frequented by “the people who want to cram”. There, in this “world apart”, the two friends will meet Annie (Myriam DeBonville), restaurant owner, by her own admission “reserved”, and Marie-Pascale (Milène Leclerc), police officer, who does not have the tongue in his pocket.
Initially, the four heroes deceive, indulge in the game of seduction with great repartee, fiercely keeping up appearances. But, the next morning, cracks begin to appear in their speeches. Far from being fulfilled by their love and professional lives, far from recognizing themselves in the dominant values and the imposed roles, the souls in pain are overtaken, even in this oasis where they intended to forget everything, by a persistent malaise. Once the masks have fallen, the vulnerabilities have been admitted and the true desires have been named, the protagonists could well taste, with both feet buried in the sand, something akin to happiness. A naive conclusion, say the cynics. Invigorating, the romantics will reply.
Faced with these holiday loves whose scope is both intimate and collective, conjugal and political, one spontaneously thinks of the first grating comedies of Francois Archambault, such as The leisure society. Casually, while walking on the beach or on the quay, contemplating the horizon or the reflection of the Ferris wheel on the water, the four characters tackle subjects such as mental health and alcohol addiction, the romantic commitment and sexual consent. Without reaching a fine sociological analysis, and fortunately without lecturing anyone, the portrait of the generation presents remarkable nuances.
Directed in a rudimentary way, sometimes even a bit awkward, this series of snapshots captivates first and foremost because the characters have words to express their doubts and their convictions. We find in the score by Gionet-Lavigne a language, a rhythm, a breath, enough to hope for the best for the future. With very different compositions, but just as accurate, François-Simon Poirier and Milène Leclerc offer the most memorable moments of the show.