For the fourth time in its rich history, the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde welcomes within its walls The misanthrope, Molière’s flagship piece. And one thing is certain: this breathtaking production will not achieve consensus like its predecessors did.
The director Florent Siaud chose to emphasize in (very) broad strokes the comic nature of this text on the hypocrisy of the world. Bold? Certainly. Funny ? Yes. We can’t help but laugh at the vaudeville humor displayed here and the ridiculousness of certain characters (Dany Boudreault’s Orontes is delirious; Évelyne Rompré gives us a completely neurotic Arsinoé).
Those hoping to find a nuanced and refined theatrical object here will have to move on. Because Siaud, who signed on these same boards a Britannicus magical in 2019, did not limit itself to giving a few sweeps to the Misanthrope ; he rendered it with a chainsaw.
The actors, all flamboyant as possible, disappear into the cracks of the sofa (literally), pour bowls of pasta on their heads or cover their faces with brownish paint supposed to represent the black bile which clouds Alceste’s soul.
PHOTO YVES RENAUD PROVIDED BY THE THÉÂTRE DU NOUVEAU MONDE
The piece is set in the decor of a luxurious 21st century apartment.e century.
The central character of the play, played by the always energetic Francis Ducharme, is a man who is loath to compromise and who would like his fellow men to be totally honest in all things. However, such a posture was impossible in the 17the century as it still is today. By telling everyone her four truths, Alceste constantly gets her feet in trouble.
The paradox, for poor Alceste, is that he is madly in love with a slanderous and unfaithful coquette named Célimène (Alice Pascual). The latter is surrounded by gallants, which plunges Alceste into great despair. There is only his faithful friend, the gentle Philinte (Alex Bergeron), to make him listen to reason. And even.
Sing the alexandrine
All the performers, it must be emphasized, handle the alexandrine with great accuracy. In Florent Siaud, the rhyming verses do not smell of dust, on the contrary. They are modern, punched. They are not wisely recited: they are thrown, sung (yes, yes) or cut into small pieces to be better savored.
However, the almost absurd humor in which this Misanthrope obliterates the social criticism that Molière made of his time and of all those people at court capable of kissing each other before sticking daggers in their backs. We laugh a lot here, but we think less about what Molière once wanted to denounce and the current relevance of the text in this era where conversation with others is increasingly difficult.
In short, there is something good and at least successful in this show set in the immaculate decor of a luxurious 21st century apartment.e century. And the opinions of spectators are likely to be very clear-cut.
We are already predicting bile from the purists, who will want to tear up their copies of the Pléiade in front of this non-conformist production. However, those who accept Florent Siaud’s proposal have every interest not to shy away from their pleasure. Because laughter is saving in this dark period of ours. Especially in January.
The misanthrope
By Molière, directed by Florent Siaud. With notably Francis Ducharme, Alice Pascual, Alex Bergeron, Dany Boudreault, Évelyne Rompré.
New World TheaterUntil February 11 then on tour in Quebec.