Doctor although it draws its premise from a work from 1912 (Professor Bernhardi by Arthur Schnitzler), the English play paints an eminently current portrait of social dynamics. The text by Robert Icke (co-adaptor of 1984) offers a kaleidoscope of different perspectives on hot topics, in this era of polarization of ideas. “It’s a captivating thriller,” enthuses Marie-Ève Milot, who is editing it at Duceppe. A fascinating foray into the interstices of power which allows us to reflect on the culture of banishment, without condemning or glorifying it. »
If this “sprawling” piece cannot be reduced to a single subject, it deals with the multiple identities that we carry, she believes. “We are not just one thing. And sometimes, we will put forward an identity through a group, then another part of ourselves within a different group. » Labels sometimes chosen by us, sometimes defined by this community.
In Doctor, the director of a renowned research institute finds herself at the heart of a violent controversy: in order to preserve the last moments of a patient, she physically prevented a priest from having access to this 14-year-old girl, dying after a home abortion, to provide the last sacraments. A video of the incident is circulating and some are questioning the doctor’s motives based on who she is. The DD Wolff, who professes not to like labels, repeats that he acted in accordance with his code of ethics. Does the individual identity of those involved matter in the case? Everyone has their own interpretation, including commentators on a television debate who did not witness the incident.
The text created in 2019 addresses identity on several fronts (religion, gender, origins, etc.) without imposing an answer. “And what I find brilliant on the part of the author is that everyone is right,” continues the director. It’s very complex, this kind of situation. And it’s interesting to drop into a room to put yourself in the place of, not just the protagonist, but of everyone [les personnages]. We don’t necessarily take the time to do it when we are driven by passions in reality. So, doing it in the theater is a really important human exercise. »
Pascale Montpetit, who plays the title role, notes that “today, with social networks, the speed of propagation is exponential. So much so that we lose control of the message, people mix things up and it becomes disproportionate. Everyone gets involved, even those far from the event. Then, we can no longer ignore all this chatter around. » The rumor becomes a major character in the show, she says. “The play is also about that: “it seems like that”. Nowadays, we comment on the comment, and that spin. »
The seasoned actress here touches on a new type of repertoire for her: a debate piece. “It’s always interesting, something we’ve never done before. Everything is to be found. And it’s very flattering, touching, to be hired by someone younger,” adds the interpreter, suddenly very moved.
The youngest in question had long hoped for this artistic encounter with the excellent actress. “Also, I recognize myself a little in her,” says Marie-Ève Milot, who shares the same size. “I find it interesting to see a character of a small woman of power. This also helps to debunk certain myths. What is power, who can represent it? »
Throughout the story, this researcher dedicated to her vocation refuses to give in to those who would like her to apologize, for the good of the institute. Is she honest or proud? For Milot, what is interesting is that “only at the end will we have access to who this woman is in her private life. So we had time, for almost two hours, to form an opinion on her. » Certain scenes from his private life, highlighting his openness, “make the character very beautiful and very complex”.
According to Pascale Montpetit, Doctor is based more on the situations than on the protagonist. “We are not in psychology, I think, but in strategy. It is from her reactions that we can speak afterwards of what she is. And she has the courage of her opinions, she goes very far and will pay the price. »
Choral
Dspeaker draw a choral portrait. Carried by a very diverse cast, the play keeps under its sleeve elements of information on certain characters, which are revealed later. History of questioning how certain identity markers modify our judgment. Robert Icke thus maintains a right of review over the choice of actors, “because it is important for him to thwart the public’s preconceptions: to what extent what he sees influences his interpretation and his opinion”, reports the director on stage.
The author asks that the performers be selected either in accordance with a visible aspect of their character’s identity, or contrary to it. Faced with this changing process, “the spectator has no choice to be active in his understanding,” explains Milot. Then, [ça remet en question] what we see more of and why certain identities will create more commotion for us than others. It’s very interesting because it allows you to experience what unconscious bias is, through the show. »
How will the public react? The designer turns and asks Geneviève Harvey – Duceppe publicist and present during the interview – to reveal the comments she had after attending a sequence of the show. “I asked myself several times [fois] : would I myself have reacted differently being that person, of that religion or that color? she says. I was a little unsettled in certain situations. I even wondered if I was open-minded sometimes. It calls us into question a lot. »
Faced with this score where multiple figures defend all their convictions, Marie-Ève Milot believes that the spectator “will travel during the show, adopting different points of view. We thought we were thinking like such a character, and then we say: “My God, no”. I really like the writing of this piece, it is surprising. » It is the pooling of these plural interpretations which makes the situation depicted and our reality complex.
And for the creator, the symbolic capital of certain acts is not a trivial thing. “What the play paints as a portrait, too, is: who are we to judge the interpretation of a symbolic gesture? she says. What happened between the doctor and the priest, this gesture, for some, will be anecdotal. For others, it is heavy with meaning. »
“The theater’s goodwill is the symbol,” recalls Pascale Montpetit. Homo sapiens is a being who thinks about reality, among other things, through symbols. But my symbols are not yours. Idiosyncrasy is the way each individual perceives sensations, just physically. We can never know how the other person feels. We can try, of course. »
And the stage remains one of those privileged spaces that allow you to put yourself in the shoes of others.