La Seizième

Tell us about this very particular text written by Caroline Bélisle…

Gabrielle Morin: The language of Liste des enfants dévorés par les loups is quite distinctive. It’s a text filled with images, metaphors, and surprising comparisons. Blanche and Charlène, in their inability to communicate, find disarming ways to express what they mean. Some of the humor isn’t necessarily obvious at first. The more we rehearse, the more we find pockets of light in the text, moments of clarity. This text is the opposite of an open-ended interpretation; instead, we start from the most distant meaning a word or a scene might have and work our way back to: “What is she trying to communicate with this torrent of words?”

Siona Gareau-Brennan: In Caroline’s writing, there’s a poetic tone that comes through in the way the two characters choose their words and describe their feelings. It inspires me a lot.

What inspires you most about Blanche and Charlène, your respective roles?

S. G.-B.: Blanche has recently become a mother, and her vision of motherhood — her philosophy of what it means to be a mother — really resonates with me, because I am one myself. It makes me reflect on how society sees women, and what is expected of them and of mothers. We’ve talked a lot about Blanche and Charlène, about their values and beliefs. They’re both very strong characters. It’s beautiful to see them experience moments of shock, surprise, ugliness, and vulnerability… You see so many colors in these two women. It’s very exciting to explore that with Gabrielle!

G. M.: What inspires me about Charlène—and about Caroline’s writing in general—are female characters who make room for their contradictions. It’s very liberating. There’s something very profound about giving these women space, allowing them not to know who they want to be, even if they have an idea of who they should be because of the conflicting messages they get from society or their relationships. For example, Blanche asks herself a lot of questions because she’s in an anxious phase, but in reality, she’s an excellent mother.

What have you learned about each other during the creation of the show?

S. G.-B.: What really moves me about Gabrielle is how comfortable I feel trying new things and digging into the work together. It allows us to push our limits and stretch the scenes… We have permission to let go. Knowing that my scene partner will always be there for me is truly a gift.

G. M.: That’s nice to hear! I’m getting to know you better, and I’ve really enjoyed discovering your sense of humour. It’s a side of you I hadn’t seen much before. It’s fun discovering your slightly weird side, your tendency to make jokes; it makes you even more endearing.

S. G.-B.: I’m happy to hear that! It’s quite an intense play, but we have fun making each other laugh during some of the heavier scenes.

G. M.: Caroline is incredibly open. I feel very comfortable in this rehearsal room. There’s space for what we’re experiencing. We have time to have the conversations we want to spark and to share our reflections. As performers, it’s a gift to be able to explore such deeply female questions.

If you had to convince audiences to come see Liste des enfants dévorés par les loups, what would you say?

G. M.: It’s a world premiere! Liste des enfants dévorés par les loups was written by Caroline Bélisle especially for Théâtre la Seizième, and it’s being presented here in Vancouver for the very first time. You don’t want to miss it! But you’ll also see that there’s something very special happening in this show. It’s both intimate and universal. The play sheds light on all the questions we don’t talk about, even among women. Theatre is an incredible way to demystify and reflect on these issues.

S. G.-B.: I think audiences will leave the theatre transformed. Liste des enfants dévorés par les loups challenges the way we see the world around us. It’s about motherhood, but also very much about friendship. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a play centered on friendship between women, on the love they have for one another. You don’t see that very often in theatre, compared to romantic or familial love.

G. M.: There will also be some bold staging choices by Cory Haas, with touches of magical realism. Studio 16 is going to be transformed.