Esther Jun believes directing Les Belles-Soeurs is an honour not to be taken lightly.
“It actually changed the world,” Jun said. “We talk about plays, obviously having meaning and resonance for us today in society, but...(Les Belle-Soeurs) changed Quebec society.”
The Canadian classic begins previews Tuesday at the Stratford Festival.
Written by Michel Tremblay in 1965, Les Belles-Soeurs revolutionized Québécois theatre. The play follows 15 Québécois women in one room expressing their anger and frustration as they yell, backstab, dream, and steal, as characterized by the festival’s website.
Last staged in Stratford in 1991, this is the first time for Les Belles-Soeurs at the festival's biggest venue.
“Let me tell you, it has been a real challenge to do this particular play on the Festival (Theatre) stage,” Jun shared.
As a thrust stage, the Festival Theatre is made for Shakespearean works and plays with a lot of movement. Describing the play as a “kitchen-sink drama,” Jun explained that blocking the space for 15 women sitting, pasting stamps, and giving monologues was quite difficult.
“I have 15 characters stuck on stage the entire time,” Jun explained. “They don't go anywhere … So it's been a great artistic challenge … I think on that level, it's really fantastic to be on the Festival.”
Despite being a play of mostly women talking, Jun said that it is ultimately about silent women. As bombastic and talkative as the characters are, they are acting out because of their true desires, the dreams that have been stifled because of 60s Québécois – and Canadian – society.
The play has much squabbling between the women on stage, but Jun thinks that all stems from their repression.
Tremblay imparted a lot of theatricality into the play, inspired by Greek tragic form. Jun has capitalized on that inspiration, imparting her own moments inspired by the Greek chorus.
“There is no singing or dancing necessarily in my show,” Jun said. “But I do have these moments where we break out of any kind of realism, and have these very large choral group numbers … where I have all these 15 people speaking in unison about various topics.”
As much as the play is culturally important to Canada, Jun wants audiences to know that it isn’t without its humour.
“It's actually really, really funny,” Jun laughed. “I think we all enjoy seeing people behave badly and the other great thing about this play is that I think we all recognize the characters within this play, whether they are your aunties, your friends, your immediate family … We've all had these conversations and these fights in a kitchen somewhere.”
Les Belles-Soeurs runs until Oct. 28. It officially opens on Aug. 25.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Festival’s website.
Director’s Notes is an ongoing series from StratfordToday, featuring interviews with Stratford Festival directors; discussing their project, their scope, and their goals for this year’s production.
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