Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal & The Cole Foundation

The Loving Gaze of Lost Boys

By Eric Noel
Translated by Rhiannon Collett
Translateranslated from Ces regards amoureux de garçons altérés

“In a gay bathhouse in Montreal, a tiny room becomes one man’s confessional. Drugged to the bone, he’s locked himself away for 60 hours, forever. His body is no longer his own, and his words, fuelled by crystal meth, are relentless. Amidst the chaos, he tells us – as best he can – of the last few years, of the last few hours. In the black hole of romantic grief, his head full and his heart broken, he struggles with his desire to disappear.”

Rhiannon Collett was in Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal studio last week for a workshop and private reading of “The Loving Gaze of Lost Boys”, their translation of Éric Noël’s play “Ces regards amoureux de garçons altérés”. Rhiannon was supported throughout the process by renowned translator and dramaturg Maureen Labonté, and the words were brought to life with actor Dakota Wellman and director Gabe Maharjan. With Éric in the room, playwright and translator collaborated – sharing careful exchanges around the confessional piece that explores deep heartache and addiction.

Rhiannon’s translation was supported thanks to the Cole Foundation Mentorship for Emerging Translators – a PWM program that has been running since 2013 to help identify and mentor the next generation of translators, bridging the gap between our language communities.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of Canada Council for the Arts.