The collision of two worlds gives Mylène Mackay and Maxim Gaudette a chance to shine star trails at the green curtain.
In the middle of a snowstorm, a woman in a wedding dress arrives spectacularly at the home of a reclusive Alaskan man. The latter was supposed to be played by Émile Schneider, but the actor withdrew due to health reasons. Maxim Gaudette brilliantly took over. Despite a shortened rehearsal time, there is complicity with Mylène Mackay, who shines in the guise of a wandering and disoriented young woman.
In this work by the American Cindy Lou Johnson, translated by Maryse Warda, these two skinned beings will narrate and confront each other. It is directed by Pierre Bernard, who staged the first Quebec version of this play at the Théâtre de Quat’Sous in 1992.
This show focuses on the heavy baggage that each of the protagonists carries, marked by loneliness and the need to forget their respective pasts. Quite different, they have to get used to each other who are stuck there because of the long snowstorm.
communication
This camera is bolstered by some fantastic decor that shows the elements being unleashed outside while showing the tight space shared by life’s two survivors.
Due to the text construction, which often goes beyond individual details and almost drifts into the absurd, the story unfolds slowly, even a little too much.
Therefore, in their discomfort, the characters sometimes behave strangely, which makes for both uncomfortable and funny moments. The text walks heavily on this fine line, particularly through communication difficulties that undermine mutual understanding. This increases the tempo of the piece, even if there are moments of tension here and there. The plight of the man and woman is thus obscured by details that give the show an original tone but detract from the intensity of the framework presented to the audience.
star trails ★★★1/2
▸ Presented at the Théâtre du Rideau Vert until June 10th.