Steve Gagnon will have the difficult task of impersonating writer Albert Camus in TNM in January, but also doing justice to his lover Maria Casarès, played by Anne Dorval.
“His interpretation will be historical,” he says, praising the work of his colleague, who impressed her during rehearsals for the piece I’m writing to you in the middle of a fair storm. She is so talented and skilled with words. »
He emphasizes that they are fully invested in this project. “There was a very strong artistic and human encounter between her and me,” he specifies in a telephone interview. We share the same love of language and detail. »
They therefore worked hard to put this text into their mouths, drawn from 865 letters exchanged by these lovers between their love at first sight in 1944 and the sudden death of Camus in 1960. It was playwright Dany Boudreault who came up with the idea for this collage, directed by Maxime Carbonneau.
more than passion
This play is about this heartfelt relationship between the married man and father of two children and the Spanish actress who had fled to France from the Franco dictatorship.
“We’re immersed in a great love story,” says Steve Gagnon. But it’s not cute. It is marked by frustration, jealousy and misunderstandings. »
He also stresses that this proposal has an important political and social dimension, since the protagonists discuss major issues of their time, such as the nuclear threat and the development of communism in Europe.
Exile and immigration are also covered, as Camus grew up in Algeria while Casarès fled Spain. “It’s very modern,” he says. They talk about their situation as immigrants. They feel like strangers in their own country. »
The author, who is also a writer, was also “blown away” by Camus’ speech about the “responsibility of an artist who writes not for himself but for the society of his time”.
A great discovery
It was through his work that Steve Gagnon got to know this giant of literature, a far cry from the image conveyed of a self-assured author with a lot of poise.
“He was a tormented and intense being, looking for meaning in his life, for a sense of community,” he says. It is therefore much more vulnerable than what we see in photos and hear in audio interviews. »
Even though this show builds on writing that wasn’t meant to be read or performed, Steve Gagnon believes it remains very theatrical.
“It’s surprising because we see a work that results from the correspondence, but it becomes clear, accessible and relevant. It’s made for everyone. You don’t need to know Camus. »
This piece is therefore an excellent opportunity to discover it.
► I am writing to you in the middle of a beautiful storm will be presented at the TNM from January 17th to February 11th.