La charge de l'orignal épormyable

There was a time when culture took center stage in Radio-Canada's programming—the glorious years of the legendary Beaux Dimanches, a somewhat eclectic show entirely devoted to culture. Concerts, literary encounters, and teletheaters immersed viewers in the heart of art with a capital A. This type of program held sway for nearly 50 years on the airwaves of the state channel before giving way to an onslaught of variety shows featuring media personalities. Teletheaters were particularly beloved, representing significant moments in television. One could say that La charge de l'original épormyable belongs to the last generation of that memorable era. Shot in the 1990s, this adaptation of Claude Gauvreau's cult play is typical of its kind, featuring the great actors of the time, including Jacques Godin, Sylvie Drapeau, and Marc Béland, who skillfully delivered the notoriously difficult and enigmatic lines of the playwright. While the production bears the unmistakable stamp of the 90s style, which has aged in terms of artistic direction (extravagant costumes, unnuanced lighting, crimped hairstyles), the theme remains more relevant than ever. The role of poets and artists in public and social life continues to diminish, and their words or visions continue to disturb and be contested and violated in various ways. Beyond the difficulty of the text, it is the treatment given by the pseudo-psychologists to the play's hero, Mycroft Myxeudeim, that truly disturbs. And his very last line ("We must undertake acts of such complete audacity that even those who repress them must admit that an inch of deliverance has been conquered for all.") more than ever invites reflection on the importance of embracing art in our lives and breaking—or at least questioning!—any form of conformity and herd mentality in our societies.

Claire Valade
Critic and programmer