Who doesn’t dream of immortalizing moments with their loved ones? To record the voices of those about to leave?
Camille Paré-Poirier did this with her grandmother Pauline for four years. The young actress made a documentary podcast Someone Immortal. Then this project was transformed into a fiction titled I will come less often, which will be shown on Tuesday in the intimate space of the Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui.
“This show is a declaration of love,” the author confides in a phone interview. I visited my grandmother three times a week in the CHSLD during her last years. If we had been the same age, we would have become friends. »
Multiple bereavements
After completing her theater studies in 1996, Camille Paré-Poirier, who grew up in Quebec, came to Montreal. This is how she got closer to her grandmother, who lived in the metropolis.
“We’ve seen a reversal of our roles,” she said. Suddenly I took care of her. I would show her around in her wheelchair, play her music and take her to restaurants. »
Pauline suffered from dementia and slowly began to decline before she died in 2021 at the age of 96.
“She’s been through all sorts of bereavements, like losing her husband, losing her memory, her sight, her clarity and her mobility,” says the actress. She was aware of this until she lost touch with reality. At first it was intense for her, but little by little she didn’t notice it anymore. »
The designer points out that her grandmother’s death was “very, very hard,” but most of her pain was felt before the end.
“It’s the concept of white mourning that I talk about a little bit in the piece,” she says. It happens in anticipation. »
no heroine
She adds that she didn’t want to create a “guilt show” that would make people think they should take better care of their elders. Camille Paré-Poirier notes that the work of the director Nicolas Michou was crucial in breaking away from the true story and confronting the characters, even if the essence of this proposal really happened.
“I’m not portrayed as someone who gives themselves and is a heroine,” she notes. I speak from sides I am ashamed of. Also, it is shown that Pauline is not an icon. »
Therefore, the piece, based on the audio exchange between the two women, shows not only friendship and tenderness, but also anger and conflict.
This work critiques the management of CHSLDs and highlights the notion of care, which is dear to the author’s heart.
“We should make room for others more often,” she says. We are in a time when we need gentleness and telling people they matter. Any meaningful relationship we have with someone is more fleeting than we think. »
► I will come less often will be presented at the Center du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui from April 25th to May 13th.