Thomas Gionet-Lavigne, author and director of the play Undercitywhich debuted in Quebec on December 5, wants viewers to leave the Théâtre La Bordée identifying with the characters and their dialogue.
“I really like when theater speaks to people; There we have a play that tells the story of three young people in their twenties who live in the lower city, and we will perform it directly in Saint-Joseph,” says Thomas Gionet-Lavigne happily in an interview with Le Journal. “When we went out after rehearsals, the actors felt like they were meeting characters from the play on the street.”
The work highlights a mechanic, a cashier and an unemployed waitress who, despite their simple world, think deeply about love, friendship and work.
“It’s like the lower city: simple, open and raw,” says Gionet-Lavigne. “But the further the piece progresses, the clearer it becomes that this is not about Keller, but rather beautiful philosophical things about life.”
“I want people to leave the theater saying to themselves, ‘Hey, I say that sometimes,’ or ‘Hey, I think that sometimes.'”
Katrine Duhaime and Jean-Denis Beaudoin play two main roles in this play. Claire Grass
Presented at the Théâtre La Licorne in Montreal in 2019, Basseville takes its first steps in the city that inspired it.
“All citizens of Quebec often live in the lower city,” notes the director, who lived in the capital for around fifteen years. “To go to work, go for a drink, go to a restaurant, I myself have spent a lot of time in this area, I am very pleased to be able to present this piece here.”
“It’s a neighborhood full of humanity and simplicity of life, which I find very rich.” [humainement] as an environment.”
Presented by the Théâtre Hereng Rouge and co-broadcast with La Bordée, Basse-ville will be performed from December 5th to 16th.