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Au retour des oies blanches

Drama in two parts by Marcel Dubé; first produced at the Comédie-Canadienne, October 21, 1966, directed by Georges Groulx with sets by Jean-Claude Rinfret and costumes by Mario DiNardo. The premier featured Marjolaine Hébert, Louise Marleau, Claude Préfontaine, Janine Sutto, Béatrice Picard, Andrée Lachapelle, Guy Boucher and Diane Pinard. The play was translated by Jean Remple as The White Geese. It was subsequently produced on television on Radio-Canada.

A bitter, unpleasant story of the bourgeoisie (a usual target of Dubé's) and their romantic and sexual machinations, Au retour des oies blanches is reminiscent of Dubé's Les Beaux Dimanches. It delivers a powerful Ibsenian punch with its revelations, double-backs and horror stories about a family of monsters.

Achille, the patriarch, committed a rape several years ago. His half-brother, Thomas, seduced Achille's wife and Achille's daughter. Geneviève, who thought she was Achille's daughter, finds out she is actually the daughter of her lover. This is one of the earliest uses of the theme of incest in Quebec dramaturgy (a theme that has become, since, a cliché).

The press was generous to the work with Montreal's Le Devoir calling it "Admirable," and La Presse seeing it as "...the best Canadian creation in a long while."

Au retour des oies blanches was published by Leméac, Montreal in 1969.

Commentary by Gaetan Charlebois.

Last updated 2016-04-10