La Sagouine (2010)
Produced by
Playwright: Antonine Maillet
Director: Luis de Cespedes
Presented in English May 14-29 and in French May 31 – June 5, 2010.
Venue
The Berkeley Street Theatre – Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre
Run
May 14th, 2010 – June 5th, 2010
Synopsis
Maillet’s La Sagouine, originally written in the French Acadian dialect, is a collection of sixteen monologues spoken by dirt poor, uneducated Acadian woman who has never left her village of Bouctouche, New Brunswick. La Sagouine (a derogatory term meaning “the filthy woman” because of her job) and her husband Gapi, a oyster fisherman, eke out a living at the very bottom of the social hierarchy. Though part of the community of Acadians, they are still viewed as outsiders in very land where they were born and thus can view the world with the detachment and humour that are perhaps the only solace an outsider has. As we learn from La Sagouine, Gapi’s world view is cynical, irreligious and iconoclastic. She refuses to listen to his tirades because her natural inclination is to see what little good there is in things no matter how bad they seem. Of the twelve children she bore nine died in infancy, but three did survive. Always, she tries to figure out why God would have willed such a thing even when there seems to be no answer. It is not death she fears but what might come after. If it is hell, she need not worry because she is already familiar enough with it on earth. Of the sixteen monologues, Léger performs five–“Death,” “The Pews,” “The Census,” “The War” and “The Spring.” (stage-door.com)
Cast
| Viola Léger | Performer |
Creative Team
| Antonine Maillet | Playwright |
| Luis de Cespedes | Director |
| Yannik Larivée | Set Designer |
| François Barbeau | Costume Designer |
| Robert Thomson | Lighting Designer |
Production
| Sarah O’Brien | Stage Manager |
| Matt Farrell | Production Manager |
| Nir Bareket | Production Photographer |
| William Sovie | Props and Set |
| Mary Spyrakis | Props and Set |
| Duncan Morgan | Sound Coordinator |
