A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE IS A DIFFERENT VISION OF LIFE
Reaching across Distance, Language and Culture
Over the course of the pandemic, Bouche Theatre Collective has maintained our outreach to international theatre makers and engaging them in the development process of new Canadian work. And if one night wih London’s Presence Theatre is our 7th International new translation workshop.
In Association with Presence Theatre
(London, UK)
AND IF ONE NIGHT
By Lisa L’Heureux | Translated by Mishka Lavigne
Translated from ET SI UN SOIR (Quebec, Canada)
CAST
Rachel Bavidge: ANITA
Sophie Juge: DANIELLE
Ami Sayers: MIA
Hemi Yeroham: JOSEPH
Produced and Moderated by:
Colin Ellwood (Joint Artistic Director, Presence Theatre)
“Mia, Danielle, Anita and Joseph emerge from the shadows with courage and clumsiness as believable as it is moving. Her pen rich with accuracy and affection, Lisa L’Heureux portrays a generation in search of self and real, concrete meaning to give to its intimacy. “ – ici.radio-canada.ca
In a grey apartment building, four characters live in a dreamlike space in which time moves forward without moving, sometimes in an offbeat and unsettling way. Written as a fragmented dream, this choral piece draws its inspiration from the night to dive into zones of human intimacy that are often hidden.
This play was a shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award French Language Drama 2019, the Prix du livre d’Ottawa (2019) and the Emerging Author Award Prix littéraire Émergence de l’AAOF (2019). It was the recipient of the Prix littéraire Trillium (2019).
This translation made possible by a grant from Canada Council for the Arts.
Meet our Playwright & Translator
About the playwright
LISA L’HEUREUX
LISA L’HEUREUX (she, her, hers) is an Ottawa-based playwright, director, and dramaturg. She is a graduate of University of Ottawa (B.A. in Theatre and History) and of University of British Columbia (M.A. in Theatre Research). With her company, Théâtre Rouge Écarlate, she has created Ciseaux, Pour l’hiver (Prix Jacques-Poirier 2017), and Et si un soir, cocreated Proximité and directed Projet D. She has had playwright residencies in Belgium (Mariemont, CED-WB), France (La Chartreuse de Villeneuve les Avignon) and with Théâtre du Trillium (Ottawa). She has contributed to many collaborative pieces, such as À quoi ça sert d’être brillant si t’éclaires personne (NAC French Theatre). As a dramaturg, Lisa worked with Satellite Théâtre (Moncton) and with Sudbury playwright Antoine Côté Legault. She recently completed a podcast version of Et si un soir.
About the translator
Mishka Lavigne
Mishka Lavigne (she, her, hers) is a playwright and literary translator based in Ottawa/Gatineau. Her translation work for theatre has been seen in Ottawa, Montreal, and France. Héritage, her translation of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun opened the 2019-2020 season at Duceppe in Montreal. She is currently working on a French translation of Karen Hines’ All The Little Animals I Have Eaten. Her translations of poetry were published in Ontario and Québec, included the recently published Cette blessure est un territoire, a French translation of Billy-Ray Belcourt’s Griffin Poetry Prize winning collection This Wound is a World. Her own works include Cinéma (Théâtre la Catapulte and Théâtre Belvédère.), Vigile (Théâtre Rouge Écarlate). Her play Havre recently won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama (French) and was shortlisted for the Prix Michel-Tremblay.
About our Partners
About Presence Theatre (London, UK)
In 2005 a group of actors and directors began to meet to read plays, aiming simply to rediscover and enjoy great works of dramatic literature. By 2007 Presence Theatre was formed. The company has since presented a number of performances and staged readings and continues to hold workshops approaching different genres of drama from the actor’s and director’s perspective. We embrace the classical and modern repertoire as well as new plays, with a particular interest in the avant-garde. www.presencetheatre.com
About le Théâtre Rouge Écarlate
Founded in Ottawa in December 2012, le Théâtre Rouge Écarlate is dedicated to the exploration, creation, production and dissemination of new theatrical works. We are interested in challenging ourselves, bringing the texts of authors to the stage and delving into the creative process in order to stage daring projects that bear witness to our time and our humanity. www.theatrerougeecarlate.com
Land Acknowledgement
Bouche’s activities take place on and are launched from the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish People: the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. We recognize and honour the recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation commission and acknowledge the importance of Indigenous sovereignty on this unceded territory.
*A territorial or land acknowledgement is an act of reconciliation that involves making a statement recognizing the traditional territory of the Indigenous people who called the land home before the arrival of settlers, and in many cases still do call it home.
For more information on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada click here.