Women shake of shackles to stand up for themselves in Les Belles-Soeurs
What: Les Belles-Soeurs When: Wednesday through Dec. 2, 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. matinées Where: Langham Court Theatre, 805 Langham Court Tickets: $10 to $23 For more information: langhamtheatre.ca
Michael Tremblay’s play Les Belles-Soeurs might have been written in 1965, but the subject matter will likely never go out of style, says the director of Langham Court Theatre’s production of the play, opening on Wednesday.
“It’s about the way women talk about their lives when their husbands and children are not in the room,” said Judy Treloar. “It will never go out of date because we’re always going to stand up for ourselves.
“It’s also a bit naughty. There’s lots of swearing.”
The story is set in Montreal and was written during a time when people were questioning the Catholic church and social roles as well as struggling economically.
It centres on the housewife Germaine, who wins a million gold stamps that are redeemable for groceries and goods. She invites her circle of women to help her stick them into redemption booklets. While they discuss their lives, the so-called friends steal the stamps.
“They’re a bit awful, but that’s part of the fun of it,” she said.
Treloar, who has worked with Langham Court Theatre for more than 40 years, said the play brought back memories from her own household growing up.
“It’s that whole thing about who’s the boss and you do what your husband told you or said things like: ‘Wait until your father gets home,’ ” said Treloar, adding she was more of a hippie parent raising her kids.
The cast features 14 women who do a lot of talking throughout the play. Treloar said a dialect coach helped with the working-class Quebec accent, and the set designer picked up gems from the era, including a paint-by-numbers Last Supper from a thrift shop.
Two cast members also acted in the play 20 years ago at Langham Court, including Pam Miller, who plays the lead role.
“One thing I’m rediscovering about this play is that it’s really about the connections of women,” said Miller, a retired nurse who grew up in Montreal. “It really is about women trying to evolve and find their voice and shake off the shackles of a patriarchal system. That hasn’t changed.”