On December 1st and 2nd, Les 25 cennes de Chambly will perform in Carignan Dagobert Tremblay, their original adaptation of the classic A Christmas Story, by Charles Dickens.
IsaBelle Mathieu, co-founder of the troupe with Natasha Daigle-Lemelin, enjoys writing reinvented classics. It is noteworthy that last September the troupe presented Snow White and the 7 Pirates as part of the celebrations organized by the city of Carignan on the occasion of the Cultural Days.
The actors and founders of the troupe note that this type of theater is well received by audiences. “In the spring we adapted Cyrano de Bergerac. The piece was called Cyril Berger. People appreciated it. They are able to recognize the parts of the original piece that they know and at the same time appreciate the differences,” says IsaBelle.
To celebrate the start of December, the troupe will perform three times during the Scrooge Tremblay show. Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 3 and 7 p.m. All performances take place at Maison des Generations, 2079, rue Henriette in Carignan.
surprises
Dickens’ classic has been made into films again and again. For IsaBelle, it is a simple basic concept that is easy to work with and get creative with. “I’ve known this piece inside and out since I was a teenager. I felt like going into it a little more closely. »
For those who know the original story well, fear not: the play Scrooge Tremblay has some surprises in store for you, assures the author. “It’s really not the same story,” she confirms, amused.
Here the role of the miserly and grumpy Ebenezer Scrooge is played by a local mechanic from Quebec. “We will speak solid Quebecois. “It’s fun because it allows the actors to familiarize themselves with the dialects,” emphasizes IsaBelle.
The author of the adaptation further confirms that the ghosts of the past, present and future will indeed be part of the show. She remains discreet about the rest in order to maintain the expected surprise effect. However, she warns the public: “It is not necessarily a play aimed at children.” Of course there is nothing inappropriate, but the word in the room is that Santa Claus does not exist… The message remains that of happiness and of sharing. »
History and approach
In 2015, the city of Carignan reached out to Natasha Daigle-Lemelin, a drama teacher at Chambly Secondary School. The task: Organize with the students the production of a story to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the arrival of the Carignan-Salières Regiment. Natasha is now the director of all the plays performed by Les 25 cennes.
IsaBelle, a support teacher and teacher at the same school, was already working with Natasha and writing pieces for her course. Participation in a project outside the school walls awakened the desire in the two colleagues to take a closer look at founding a troop. “We asked the students who [brûlaient] the boards if they wanted to continue outside. [De là est née] a troop that we eventually called “Les 25 cennes” because there were 25 of us at the time,” explains IsaBelle.
With Scrooge Tremblay, the troupe plays their eighth original piece, all written by IsaBelle. She explains to us that she draws a lot of inspiration from the actors when creating her texts. “They choose their projects. Not everyone is active all the time. I build the piece depending on the people who are interested in playing in it. »
Succession
The troupe, made up entirely of former students from Chambly High School’s acting program, brings together actors ages 18 to 26. “Natasha and I are not going on stage. This is not our place. “We are not there to play, we are there to offer them this experience,” mentions the author of the pieces.
The troupe’s mission is to provide space for our region’s next generation of theater artists to practice the art for free. “The only money we collect is from ticket sales,” explains IsaBelle. She confirms to us that all funds will be reinvested in future productions for set design, costumes and room rental.
Ticket sales
Tickets are available for $20. You can reserve your spot by contacting IsaBelle Mathieu directly at the email address [email protected] or by phone at 438 504-2789. The capacity of the hall is 70 spectators per performance.
The troupe’s actors all come from Chambly High School’s drama program.
