You are never better served than by yourself. Macha Limonchik followed this saying, which allows her to star in the play A dollhouse, 2e Part at the Théâtre du Rideau Vert in January.
It is in fact the actress who suggested directing this show by the American playwright Lucas Hnat, who invented a sequel to the famous 19th-century play of the same name by Henrik Ibsen.
“It’s a play that I had read and really enjoyed,” she said in a phone interview. I asked Marie-France Lambert to direct and she said yes. We presented our project at the Théâtre du Rideau Vert, where I had never played.
The actress, who passed the 50 milestone, did not selflessly launch this idea. She wanted to play Nora, the central character in this story, set fifteen years after the original work conceived by Ibsen.
“It’s a beautiful role,” says Macha Limonchik. I sink my teeth into it. Leading roles are rare for actresses my age in theater.”
In the theater, but also on television, there are fewer older female roles than on the male side. A reality that’s not necessarily easy for an actress who’s been headlining since the early 1990s.
“It looks like we know it, but it’s not the same as living it,” she says. What is sad is that we are in full possession of our means and that we have the experience. It’s a bit absurd to see that our male comrades aren’t short of work while the older actresses get a tiny slice of the pie.
Back at home
In A Doll’s House, Part 2, Nora returns home and must confront her husband, daughter, and nanny who she left behind after leaving home. This 2017 work was critically acclaimed in the United States and even received seven Tony Award nominations.
“This piece has stood the test,” notes Macha Limonchik. It has already been performed in English in Montreal, but never in French in Quebec.”
She points out that there are many funny passages, despite the resentment expressed by those close to Nora who accuse her of abandoning her. “It’s a work for the general public, very intelligent, which is seen as a verbal boxing match.”
A dollhouse, 2e Part will be presented at the Théâtre du Rideau Vert from January 24 to February 25, 2022.