This creative cycle exploring boreal gothic brings together three texts by Mishka Lavigne, connected by shared themes and recurring imagery. It draws inspiration from the encounter between natural elements — forest, wildlife, northern climate — and human-made structures. A constant tension emerges, as characters move within a fragile balance. Nature, ever-present, asserts its rhythm and power, highlighting the vulnerability of human intervention and reflecting the reality of Canadian landscapes.
In Granite, minerals — both symbolic and literal — stand in contrast to two settings: a multi-generational home inhabited by women, and a quarry where men work.
In Lichen, natural elements from the worlds of mycology and lichenology are set against two human spaces: a scientific research station deep in the forest, where biologist Ama works, and the home of Romy and her father Florian, on the shores of a lake.
In Loup-cervier, there is Larissa, her body consumed by illness, and Stéphane, returned from far away with his demons still close behind, in the childhood home they once shared — a house filled with ghosts. The weight of the snow is palpable, the violence is etched into the walls, and lynxes howl all around.
Brought together in a single work, these texts move between shared and distinct elements, much like the Franco-Canadian theatrical landscape itself. They offer an artistic experience that is both cohesive and fragmented, uniting Francophone artists from across Canada. Each of these standalone stories will have its own staging, affirming its singular voice within this larger collective production.
We are co-creating Loup-cervier with L’UniThéâtre (Edmonton), and the Triptyque in partnership with Satellite Théâtre (Moncton), Théâtre Français de Toronto, and Théâtre Rouge Écarlate (Ottawa).
Texts Mishka Lavigne
Direction Marc-André Charron (Granite), Lisa L'Heureux and Karine Ricard (Lichen), Cory Haas (Loup-Cervier)
Artistic collaboration Marc-André Charron, Antoine Côté Legault, Cory Haas, Steve Jodoin, Lisa L'Heureux, Marie-Pierre Proulx, Karine Ricard
Co-production Théâtre la Seizième (Vancouver), L'UniThéâtre (Edmonton), Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario (Grand Sudbury), Théâtre français de Toronto (Toronto), Théâtre Rouge Écarlate (Ottawa), Satellite Théâtre (Moncton), National Arts Centre (Ottawa)
Photos Catherine Archambault
