Isolation, infantilization, confusion, dark thoughts; Older people can be vulnerable on many levels and spaces To become oldwhich was performed at the Théâtre Le Trident demonstrated this excellently.
As part of this work, five elders with different experiences come together and discuss life. Together they are afraid of the future, cling to the past and think about death, each in their own way.
Even when they try to express themselves as clearly and succinctly as possible, through repetition or forgetting, we feel that these seniors are becoming more and more confused.
This sense of confusion, sometimes comical and sometimes sad, is heightened by Claude Poissant's intelligent direction. The latter never really allows us to understand the environment in which the characters find themselves. Are they indoors or outdoors? It's not always clear what's going on in their heads.
Suicide among seniors
The play is carried by five talented actors. William, played brilliantly by Jacques Leblanc, is not afraid to talk about his plans to take his own life. The widowed and isolated old man also talks about his ambition to write a novel.
The sad thing is that his suicidal thoughts, with his cynical lyrics and dark humor, clearly seem to be better defined than his writing ideas. William regains the clarity of his mind by discussing his death or that of his late wife, but his book evolves from, among other things, a crime novel project to a possible autobiography, without us really knowing the essence of it. Your thought.
Being rejected by your family
Marie Gignac is excellent as Adèle, a once celebrated and influential journalist who is now retired. The latter lacks the language to criticize the way information is produced, communicated and consumed today.
Which adds to his bitterness; His grandchildren no longer speak to him because the media convinces them that his entire generation is responsible for climate change.
She now feels sassy and undervalued, as if the good work she's done all her life is no longer worth anything just because times have changed.
The play Old Man paints a relatable portrait of the problems that older people can face. The sensitive topics covered there, coupled with sensitive humor and a brilliant production, make the evening at the theater an experience that is both current and entertaining.
To become old is presented at the Théâtre Le Trident until February 10th.