English play to tackle the drama of Elder Abuse

There is nothing funny about elder abuse, but the La Belle Gang theatre company from Lachute, Quebec, is using humour as a gateway to help seniors who are living in abusive relationships to get help. In early June the troupe will be making two stops in the Townships to present its English play, “Grandpa is Not a Cash Cow & Grandma Won’t Take Any Bull,” with the aim of helping people to recognize and to understand the realities of how seniors can be suffering in silence.

“The main thing about elder abuse is to talk about it, because talking aobut it is the very first step to getting out of it,” said Marie-claude Hénault, the play’s Director. “Very often (seniors) just don’t want to talk about it. They don’t want to admit that they are abused by their son or daughter, because it is often a family thing.”

Hénault explained that the English play is a translation of François Jobin’s 2011 work, “Faudrait pas prendre grandmère pour une dinde et grand-père pour son dindon,” which was written in consultation with seniors in the Laurentians.

“It was a project that the seniors in the community asked for; they wanted to have a play written for them about elder abuse,” the Director said. “They felt like what had been made up to that point was a bit moralistic, trying to tell you what to do and how to act.”

Rather than create a morality play addressing physical violence, the script Jobin crafted presents a story that Hénault said shows off the way that very often abuse is more subtle and everyday, touching on financial, social, or emotional matters. Although she acknowledged that the subject matter is serious, Hénault said that the amateur troupe of elderly actors gives a presentation that is relatable and often quite funny, even if that laughter might leave the audience feeling uneasy.

“The play is really well written,” she said, explaining that the work was written to be presented in a single, four-show run. That initial presentation was so successful, and the message so impactful, that the performance has been touring the province ever since. The English translation came along in 2013 when one of the actors, Lise Landry, took it upon herself to make sure that the message was getting out to the province’s English speakers as well.

Given the nature of the topic, Hénault pointed out that people who come to see the show should be prepared for the fact that the activity is more developed than just watching a play.

“After the play there is always a discussion with the public,” the Director said, explaining that the actors ask the audience to consider the story they’ve been told and examine how it matches up with reality. “Every time we present the play there are social workers in the audience,” she added, noting that the conversation often leads to revelations about abuses that audience members are currently living with and that it is important that those people be guided to the appropriate resources to improve their situation.

“People start to talk, and sometimes to denounce the situations in which they are living,” Hénault said, recalling one performance in the group’s hometown where the discussion following the show led to an arrest in the following days. “It really helps, and we are so happy about that.”

The Theatre la Belle Gang’s performances will be taking place at the Lennoxville United Church on Tuesday, June 5 and at the Théâtre Lac Brome on Wednesday, June 6. Both will take place at 1:30 p.m. More information about the Lennoxville performance is available by calling Isabelle Huet at 819-780-2220 extension 45461, and more information about the Lac Brome performance is available by calling Monique Lacroix at 450-248-4304 extension 34009.