With a great staging and talented actors, Abraham Lincoln goes to the theater offers a fascinating portrait of the United States in TNM.
This dense and imaginative text by Larry Tremblay is masterfully staged by Catherine Vidal, who infuses it with a good dose of madness and originality. From the lighting to the actors’ movements through the video projection, the details of this show demand respect.
The narrative has many layers and many messages about American society, although these are often allegorical rather than direct.
In this story, a director wants to make a play about the contradictions of the United States, inspired by the April 15, 1865 assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by actor John Wilkes Booth during a performance at Ford’s Theater in Washington.
Bruno Marcil masterfully plays this man of the theater who decides to impersonate Lincoln and hire two actors who ask her to impersonate the most famous comic duo of the 20th century, Laurel and Hardy. The frail is given a splendid interpretation by Luc Bourgeois, while Mani Soleymanlou stands out in the skin of the corpulent.
This tandem carries the show, so to speak. Their contrasting but complementary identities form a kind of symbol of what the United States is. They’re allies, but above all fierce competitors who don’t hesitate to betray each other for a bigger slice of the star pie. When the director dies, his successor, Didier Lucien, reinforces the authoritarian side of his position.
to check multiple times
With its many references and its many detours, this show is not exactly easy to follow. The story isn’t built in a way that allows us to identify with the characters or worry about their fate. Sometimes we even hope for a slightly faster exit, despite the surprises that await us several times throughout the evening.
It’s definitely smart production for all layers examined. This proposal could be reviewed several times and reappreciated for any nuances that escaped us.
The finale is as powerful as it is spectacular. The icing on the cake of a carefully prepared cake.
♦ Abraham Lincoln goes to the theater will be presented in the TNM until April 8th.
Abraham Lincoln goes to the theater ★★★★
- Directed by Catherine Vidal
- With Luc Bourgeois, Mani Soleymanlou, Bruno Marcil and Didier Lucien