On Tuesday, April 19th at 7:00 PM, acting troupe Les Caméléons will perform their annual play at Valleyfield’s salle Albert-Dumouchel, as part of the worldwide Fêtes internationales du théâtre.
This year’s performance is a take on the Cro-Magnon man in the original play The Age of Reason, a play that director Louise Gobeil observed last year in Saint Lambert. The troupe puts on one play per year, practicing three hours a week over a period of eight months. All eleven actors are intellectually impaired, which is really what makes the play such a treat. “They really have something very special to bring to theatre,’ explains Gobeil. ‘They are so spontaneous, and relate well to the spectators, interacting with the crowd. It is another vision of the world that they provide.”
Gobeil took over for former director Denis Legault eight years ago. The Franklin resident, who works as a translator, was touched by a performance she took in while Legault was still directing—so much so that she offered her help should he need it. Since that moment, it has become a passion project for Gobeil, who adapts the plays she selects to better suit her students. It is a heartfelt endeavour—in the past, she has even written a play of her own for her students. As for her thoughts on why people should see the play? “The performance provides a bridge between us and those with a deficiency. It shines a light on our similarities, eliminating our differences.”
The play, The Age of Reason, is an adaption of British writer Roy’s Lewis’ novel “The Evolution of Man: Or, How I Ate My Father”. Based in Northern Africa, the book offers a colourful take on the ape-men of the Pleistocene era, following the struggle of a small tribe of ape-men as they work to outwit the perils of Mother Nature. Facing many of the issues that we deal with today (with a slight twist, of course), the cavemen deal with everything from finding a cosy cave to settle down in to facing anger-management issues to figuring a way to make ends meet.
Partly funded by the Les Services de Réadaptation du Sud-Ouest et du Renfort (SRSOR), the production is a non-profit effort, with countless volunteers stepping in to make the play possible. Additional funds are donated from local businesses and larger provincial organizations.
For those who can’t make the Valleyfield performance, the play will also be performed at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School on Friday, April 29th at 7:00 P.M. Admission will be $10. For more information, contact Heidi Rankin at 450-829-3039. Please note that admission is $15 in Valleyfield.
