Théâtre la Seizième presents a staged reading of À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou, February 21 and 22

Sébastien David directs Michel Tremblay’s tragic play as part of the ÉCHO(S) series

By emily lyth

Michel Tremblay. Photo by Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf

Théâtre la Seizième presents À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou at Studio 16 on February 21 and 22 at 7:30 pm, as part of the ÉCHO(S) staged reading series

RENOWNED QUÉBÉCOIS PLAYWRIGHT and novelist Michel Tremblay has been publishing works to critical acclaim since the 1960s.

Among his more prominent œuvres is 1971’s À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou, which tells the grim story of one family’s history from four different perspectives. Léopold and Marie-Lou were in a tumultuous marriage that ended in their tragic deaths following a verbal dispute. Ten years later, their daughter Carmen has moved on, while their other daughter Manon still lives under their roof, consumed by what happened. Unspoken truths and the burden of religion come into play when Carmen returns home and the sisters must confront their difficult past.

In honour of Théâtre la Seizième’s 50th anniversary, the company is presenting a staged reading of À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou at Studio 16 on February 21 and 22. It is the third installment of this season’s ÉCHO(S) series, which highlights five key works that Théâtre la Seizième has produced since it was founded in 1974.

Another Québécois playwright, Sébastien David, is directing this reading, which features a cast of four actors: Jessica Heafey, Steve Jodoin, Samantha Levy, and Gabrielle Morin. David’s Dimanche napalm won a Governor General’s Award in 2017, and his latest play Une fin premiered this month at Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui in Montreal.

The reading of À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou will be in French with English surtitles. It will feature live music by Steven Charles and technical direction and lighting by Chengyan Boon.  

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