Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Le Chien
Drama in one long act by Jean-Marc Dalpé, first presented by the Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario and the Centre des auteurs dramatiques, Quebec, September 3, 1987, directed by Brigitte Haentjens and featuring Roy Dupuis, Hélène Paulin, Marthe Turgeon, Roger Blay and Pierre Collin. Winner of the 1988 Governor General’s Award. It was subsequently presented at the Théâtre Français de Toronto (1993).
After seven years a young man, Jay, comes home and sets off an explosion of memories, words and fierce actions. The voices of the characters cross time and space as Jay comes to terms with his grandfather's death, his family's madness and the sick dog whose rising viciousness merely reflects the violence at Jay's family's core.
Like Dalpé's other plays (Eddy, Lucky Lady), language is raw and comes in a flood of images and plain poetry. The pace of the work is relentless and its climax mind-bending.
Commentary by Gaetan Charlebois
Last updated 2020-11-17
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